Abdullah blames Pak for continued terror in J-K, says it needs to rethink stance in wake of India's ‘act of war' warning
In an interview with PTI, Abdullah dismissed the narrative that the abrogation of Article 370 was the solution to terrorism in the region, asserting that the recent Pahalgam attack, which claimed 26 lives, had starkly proven this false.
Srinagar, Jul 20 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has unequivocally stated that Pakistan's 'inimical intentions' remain the most formidable challenge to achieving a terror-free Jammu and Kashmir, cautioning Islamabad that India now views any terror attack as an act of war.
'The BJP tried very hard to sell this narrative that terror in Jammu and Kashmir was the result of Article 370. We know that's not true. Terror in Jammu and Kashmir is the result of Pakistan's intentions. And therefore, that's why the removal of Article 370 did not stop terror in Jammu and Kashmir,' he said.
The chief minister emphasised that the onus is now on Pakistan to reassess its strategy and highlighted a critical shift in New Delhi's posture, warning that the Indian government has set a 'very low bar' for what constitutes an act of aggression.
'The biggest challenge will be to convince Pakistan that its support for these sorts of activities is bad for us, but it's bad for Pakistan,' Abdullah stressed.
'And given now the sort of very low bar that the Government of India has set, that any attack will be seen as an act of war, Pakistan needs to seriously think about whether it wants to plunge the neighbourhood into a war.' On the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mainly tourists, Abdullah acknowledged Lt Governor Manoj Sinha's admission of a 'security and intelligence failure' and termed it as a positive first step.
However, he asserted that it was 'not good enough.' He said, '26 people died. 26 innocent people were brutally murdered. Where were the lapses? This Pahalgam incident brought two nations, two nuclear powers to war.' 'As a first step, it is appreciable that the Lt Governor (Manoj Sinha) has said that he is responsible. But down the chain of command, accountability has to be fixed, since we know now that it was a security and intelligence lapse. The next step would be to fix responsibility. And then heads must roll,' he said.
Post Pahalgam, the chief minister expressed optimism to a question whether his government could balance the fragile peace with the vital need to revive tourism saying, 'We have to trust our forces to do what is right and to ensure that any gaps that have been identified as a result of Pahalgam are plugged.' He stressed about his government's push to restart tourism, saying 'tourism is an important part of JK's economy' and said a vast number of jobs and its appeal as a destination people genuinely want to visit.
The recent, gradual return of tourists was a heartening sign, a testament to the active efforts of his government to participate in events across the country to bring them back.
About the security audit of tourist spots, he said, 'Not that it should be done, it was being done… and those have gradually started to be reopened, and I am hopeful that after Amarnath Yatra, most of the other ones that are closed will also be reopened.' The closures, he noted, were an anomaly. 'We have never had tourist destinations closed,' he said, a hint of disbelief in his voice. 'Even in the worst of days, tourist destinations were not closed.' He presented a stark choice. Either the situation was now far worse than it had been 10 or 15 years ago, which he believed was not the case, or a considered decision needed to be made.
'If that's not the case, then we need to sort of take a considered decision, and post-Amarnath Yatra, start reopening all the closed areas,' he concluded, making it clear that a return to a full sense of normalcy was both necessary and long overdue. PTI SKL RT RT
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
25 minutes ago
- Hans India
This is Modi's era, everything moves fast: Tejasvi Surya's jibe at DKS
Bengaluru: BJP MP Tejasvi Surya took a sharp dig at Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, stating that the era of delayed inaugurations and indecisive governance is over. 'I belong to a new generation that believes in speedy execution. The time when Indira Gandhi laid the foundation stone and Sonia Gandhi inaugurated the same project decades later is gone. This is the Modi era—everything moves fast,' Surya said, addressing the media in New Delhi. Referring to criticisms about the urgency in implementing the Yellow Line metro project, Surya countered, 'Why are they questioning the urgency now? Where were they when there were real problems? For four years, the Metro project had no MD. BMRCL fixed and postponed half a dozen inauguration dates in two years.' Surya emphasized the importance of swift action. 'In the past, classical Congress-style politics delayed progress. Even for simple inaugurations, there were decades of delay. Those enjoying zero-traffic VIP routes don't understand the urgency of metro connectivity for the common people,' he said. Citing the example of the Suburban Rail Project, Surya pointed out, 'It still doesn't have a full-time MD. Four corridor projects are stalled, and contractors have abandoned work. This is the state government's story. The fare revision committee report is still pending. I had to approach the court regarding this. The Bengaluru Metro has the highest fares in the country. When ticket prices are hiked by 130%, how will common people cope?' On the issue of voter list revision in Bihar and Rahul Gandhi's protest, Surya said, 'Let's keep politics aside. The Supreme Court has ruled that the process was fair. Every time a decision goes against Rahul Gandhi, he questions the judiciary. But when a verdict favors him, the court becomes 'super'. This double standard must stop.' Commenting on the voter roll discrepancies in Mahadevapura, Surya questioned the sudden uproar. 'If the issue has existed for years, why protest now? It's clear—Congress wants power. Rahul Gandhi is unable to mentally accept that PM Modi has led the country successfully for 10–11 years. Power once belonged to them. They can't handle the people's verdict, and hence continue to attack the judiciary, Lokpal, and other institutions.'
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
25 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Trump's tariff hike could shave 0.3 pp off India's GDP: Goldman Sachs
India condemns new 25% duty on exports; total levy now at 50%; analysts expect talks before August 27 deadline New Delhi India's economy could take an additional 0.3 percentage point (pp) annualised hit to real gross domestic product (GDP) growth following US President Donald Trump's decision to impose a fresh 25 per cent duty on Indian imports, Goldman Sachs said. This is over and above the 0.3 pp impact previously estimated from the April 2025 tariff round. According to Goldman Sachs, once exclusions, such as those under Section 232 of the US Trade Expansion Act, 1962, are applied, the effective average tariff rate on Indian exports to the US will settle at around 32 per cent. US doubles tariff on Indian goods On Wednesday evening, Trump issued an executive order imposing an additional 25 per cent duty on Indian imports. This brings the total levy to 50 per cent, effective August 27. India's US exposure significant India's exposure to the US market is substantial. Around 4 per cent of India's GDP is linked to final demand from the United States, Goldman Sachs analysts noted. In FY25, India exported goods worth $86.5 billion to the US, while imports stood at $45.7 billion. Key exports include electronics, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and textiles, while major imports are crude oil, gems and jewellery, and machinery. Russian crude oil: A flashpoint in India-US trade relations One major point of tension is oil. While Russia provided about one-third of India's crude oil in FY25, the US share was just 4 per cent. That share did rise to 8 per cent in April and May 2025, but the US remains a minor supplier overall. MEA terms move 'unfair' India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) called the US action ' unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable.' It said India's energy sourcing was guided by market pricing and supply security. 'It is extremely unfortunate that the US has chosen to penalise India for decisions being made by several other countries in their own national interest,' the MEA said in a strongly worded statement. PM Modi: Farmers, fishers, dairy will not be sacrificed Addressing the MS Swaminathan Centenary International Conference on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that India would not compromise on the interests of its farmers, fishers, or dairy industry. ' The interest of our farmers is our top priority … I know that I will have to pay a heavy personal price for this. But I am ready for it,' the Prime Minister said. Room for negotiations remains Goldman Sachs has not revised its India GDP forecast yet, but flagged the possibility of further impact if retaliatory actions or broader trade restrictions follow. 'There is a window for negotiation,' the report said, pointing to the three-week gap before the new tariffs come into effect. A day earlier, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) held its FY26 GDP growth projection steady at 6.5 per cent, citing a lack of sufficient data to warrant revisions. RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, speaking after the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting, said, ' We do not have sufficient data to revise our GDP forecast,' adding that global uncertainties had already been factored into earlier projections.
Indian Express
25 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Punjab BJP announces ‘Save Land, Save Farmers' Yatra against land pooling policy from Aug 17 to Sep 5
Sharpening its attack on ruling AAP in Punjab against the proposed 'Land Pooling Scheme', the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday announced a state-wide yatra titled 'Save Land, Save Farmers', from August 17 to September 5. The drive will be led by party's state working president Ashwani Sharma. Addressing a press conference in Chandigarh, BJP's state vice president Kewal Singh Dhillon said that during this yatra, BJP Punjab will go village-to-village creating awareness among farmers against this scheme and mobilise them. It will meet the farmers who are already aware and struggling, and standing shoulder-to-shoulder, will support them. The yatra will kick off on August 17 from Patiala, and pass through villages in Malwa, Majha, and Doaba regions affected by the land pooling plan, culminating in Pathankot on September 5, he said. BJP leaders condemned the Bhagwant Mann government, saying it has launched a serious assault on the land of farmers. Through the land pooling scheme, the government seeks to hand over farmers' land to land mafias through backdoor means – which is completely unacceptable, they said. They stated, 'BJP stands like a rock with the farmers. Until the AAP government withdraws the land pooling policy, the BJP will continue to fight at all levels in solidarity with the farmers.' Meanwhile, BJP's state president Sunil Jakhar in a post on X wrote: 'The Punjab and Haryana High Court has granted a stay on Punjab government's land pooling policy. Although this stay is currently limited to a single day, considering the government's authority of unsuccessful litigation regarding policies detrimental to the public interest, it is likely that this initiative to acquire farmers' land will not withstand legal scrutiny. Consequently, the government is poised to face defeat in this case as well. Therefore it would be prudent for the Chief Minister to relinquish the interests of Delhi and acknowledge the sentiments of Punjab by withdrawing this policy.'
