Farooq Abdullah praises Pakistan's role in Kashmir, BJP sharply rebuts

At a gathering of National Conference cadres in Baramulla, Farooq Abdullah asserted that Pakistan has been protecting the people of Jammu and Kashmir, suggesting that India's approach toward Kashmiris is flawed. He emphasized that the Kashmir issue has yet to be settled. The Bharatiya Janata Party quickly countered, pointing to infrastructure and development projects in the Indian-administered union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, while criticizing conditions in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Abdullah’s comments revive discussion of the 2019 removal of Article 370, which stripped the former state of its special status. The BJP’s reply underscores its narrative of integration and progress under one outlet administration. The exchange reflects ongoing political tensions over the region’s future.