Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said he was ready to dissolve the Assembly if it helped pave the way for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
“If the statehood is brought, we will not stand in the way. In fact, I will ask the Governor to dissolve the Assembly the very next day,” Omar told reporters in Gulmarg,
He said the demand was not for politicians or MLAs, but for the people of the region.
He dismissed claims linking the restoration of statehood to the timing of Assembly elections, saying such narratives were misleading and aimed at creating confusion.
#WATCH | Gulmarg | On the issue of Statehood for J&K, CM Omar Abdullah says, "... I read in a newspaper that if the statehood is to be granted, then the state assembly has to be dissolved. Then let it happen. I am not worried about my chair... These reports have been planted in… pic.twitter.com/yxtcXBPrlC
— ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2025
“Statehood is our right. Don’t try to scare us with planted stories,” he said. “We have not only promised the people, but we are also actively working to fulfil it,” he added.
Referring to the recent Pahalgam terror attack, the Chief Minister said that the April 22 incident, which left 26 people dead, was carried out by foreign terrorists, with no local involvement.
“Two persons have been arrested for giving shelter to the attackers, but they may have done so under pressure. They gave food to the terrorists, but it might have been out of fear. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is looking into it, and once the investigation is complete, a chargesheet will be filed,” he said.
The attack led to a strong response from India, which launched Operation Sindoor to target terror camps across the Line of Control. This resulted in four days of intense fighting between India and Pakistan, raising tensions in the region.
#WATCH | Gulmarg: On NIA arresting two men for allegedly harbouring terrorists involved in #PahalgamTerroristAttack, J&K CM Omar Abdullah says, "The biggest thing is that there was no local involvement. Those who shot bullets and killed 26 people were all from outside. Now, under… pic.twitter.com/HvLNHLpByj
— ANI (@ANI) June 24, 2025
The attack also badly affected Kashmir’s tourism sector. Pahalgam, being one of the most popular tourist spots in the Valley, saw a wave of cancellations and a sharp drop in bookings.
However, efforts by the Jammu and Kashmir government, along with tour operators from the Valley and other parts of India, have helped restore the confidence of visitors and bring tourists back to the region.
He also assured that the government was working hard to bring back students from Jammu and Kashmir who are studying in the conflict-hit Iran.
“We were very worried about our children. Flights were delayed due to airspace closures, but now we’re hopeful that most of them will return soon, completing the evacuation process,” he said.
