Farooq Abdullah: Improved India-Pakistan Relations Would Benefit Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu, Mar 6 – National Conference (NC) president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Thursday stressed that better diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan would be in the best interest of Jammu and Kashmir. His remarks came while speaking to reporters outside the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly.

“If relations between the two countries improve, it is a good thing for us,” Abdullah stated, highlighting the impact of cross-border tensions on the region’s stability and development.

Abdullah’s comments came in response to a question regarding External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s remarks on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Addressing a session at the Chatham House think tank in London on Wednesday, Jaishankar asserted that the Kashmir issue would be resolved only when the “stolen part” of the region, currently under “illegal Pakistani occupation,” is returned to India. Pakistan, however, rejected his statement as “baseless.”

While Abdullah did not directly address Jaishankar’s stance, his emphasis on improving Indo-Pak ties suggests his preference for dialogue and reconciliation over confrontation.

Abdullah also took a sharp dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Uttar Pradesh government for its ongoing drive to rename places historically associated with the Mughal era. He accused the ruling party of attempting to erase the legacy of the Mughals, arguing that historical facts cannot be changed through political decisions.

“They cannot change history… The Mughals ruled here for hundreds of years and are also buried here,” he said, dismissing the renaming exercise as futile.

The BJP government in Uttar Pradesh has justified the renaming of cities and towns as part of an effort to restore India’s cultural heritage. However, opposition leaders, including Abdullah, see it as a politically motivated attempt to rewrite history.