Omar Abdullah demands global scrutiny for PoK violence, compares to Kashmir unrest

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah expressed concern over the reported violence in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and said that Islamabad should face the same global scrutiny that it demanded during unrest in this side of Kashmir in 2008, 2010 and 2016.

He said elections held in Jammu and Kashmir and PoK were matters concerning the respective administrations but expressed concern over reports of bloodshed and alleged civilian killings in PoK.

“What did the Government of Pakistan say when the situation here was bad in 2008, 2010 and 2016? What did they ask the international community at that time? And the same demand should be applied to that part of Jammu and Kashmir today. Research should be done there. Milk for milk, water for water,” Abdullah said on Friday, referring to the periods when Kashmir witnessed massive protests and civilian killings.


He said the ongoing assembly election in PoK is the responsibility of the administration concerned, “but as far as the bloodshed is concerned, innocent people are being killed by the forces, by the Rangers”.

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On the lack of the international community’s response to the developments in PoK, the J&K chief minister said global attention was currently focused on several major conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war and tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran. He said that people in J&K were nevertheless watching developments in PoK. “It is okay if they—the international community--don’t see it. We are seeing it. And we are sad and in pain for that area because at one time, they were our people. We would like the situation to improve there,” he said.

Meanwhile, Abdullah welcomed RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s statement on the recent student protests against exam paper leaks, in which Bhagwat asserted that the distinction between opposition to the government and opposition to the nation was important in a democracy.

“Opposing the government is not opposing the country. Often opposing the government is beneficial for the country because where there are mistakes, those mistakes are corrected,” Abdullah said, adding that the Gen Z protests had contributed to accountability and could help improve the examination process in the future.

He further said, “These children did nothing against the country. The proceedings—legal and otherwise—against them should stop.”

On the situation in Jharkhand, where students have reportedly been protesting for several days over alleged irregularities in examinations, Abdullah urged chief minister Hemant Soren to engage with the students and address their concerns. “Call them, talk to them. And if something has really happened there, then take action against it, like we did here,” he said.