Ladakh must seek written safeguards from Centre: Omar Abdullah

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah on Wednesday urged the leadership of Ladakh not to rely on the central government's verbal assurances on constitutional safeguards and ensure that they receive something in writing and signed.

Abdullah, who was elected as the CM in October 2024, said J&K has been a victim of the BJP-led central government's verbal assurances regarding the restoration of statehood. "Ladakh has its own issues, our issues are separate. However, as a friend and a well-wisher, I can only advise the leadership of Ladakh not to rely on any verbal assurances from the central government unless they provide those in writing and officially signed," Abdullah told reporters in Pulwama district of southern Kashmir on the sidelines of a development review meeting.

"We have been victims of this. We too were given verbal assurances that statehood would be restored immediately after the (assembly) election," said Abdullah. He said that almost two years have passed since then and that promise has not materialised. "Therefore, with folded hands, my humble request to the leaders of Ladakh and Kargil is not to trust verbal commitments from the Centre until they receive something in writing, perhaps in the form of a formal affidavit," said Abdullah.


The CM refused to react to leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma's statement on the short duration of the autumn session of the assembly, which is scheduled to begin on September 21 in the summer capital of Srinagar. "I will only respond to one statement per month from the leader of Opposition. He makes statements daily and I do not have enough free time to reply to him every day. I responded to one yesterday; the next response will come in October," said Abdullah.

About the execution of development projects and expenditure of the allocated funds, Abdullah said Pulwama would likely rank among the top five of all 20 districts of J&K.