Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he has written to all political parties with a large number of MPs in Parliament, requesting them to support the restoration of statehood for the region.
He said the promise of restoring statehood has been made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir in public meetings, in Parliament, and before the Supreme Court. He added that the issue should be raised in Parliament so that the bill is passed in the current session.
Omar said there is a Supreme Court hearing on the matter on August 8 and that statehood should be granted as soon as possible. He said several years have passed without progress, and that if the government does not act, the court should ensure the promise is fulfilled.
He said the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir were held because the Supreme Court had fixed a timeline for the process.
He added that a similar approach should be taken for restoring statehood.
Referring to the security situation, Omar said troop presence has increased after the April 22 attack. He said around 400,000 pilgrims completed the Amarnath Yatra from Baltal and Pahalgam routes this year, and he expressed hope that tourists from across the country would visit the region again.
Omar also referred to recent incidents in Ramban and Uttarakhand, linking them to changing weather patterns, deforestation, and mountain cutting.
He said such activities pose risks to mountainous areas like Jammu and Kashmir and called for measures to address them.
He said the Jammu and Kashmir government stands with the people and government of Uttarakhand in the wake of the recent incident there.(KNS)
