Ganesh Kendale
SRINAGAR: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah has squarely blamed Pakistan for the uptick in terrorist activity in J&K, saying there can be no talks between New Delhi and Islamabad till the neighbouring country stops the killings.
His remarks stand in contrast with recent election manifestos of both NC and PDP, which advocated talks with Pakistan to address the “unsettled Kashmir issue”.
“How can there be talks? You kill our innocent people and then you call for talks. First stop the killings,” Abdullah said following the deaths of a doctor and six other employees at a tunnel-construction company’s campsite on the Srinagar-Leh highway in Ganderbal district Sunday evening.
The victims included Shahnawaz Ahmed Dar from Budgam district in Kashmir, architectural engineer Shashi Bhushan Abrol from Jammu, three workers from Bihar — Faheem Nasir, Mohammad Hanif, and Abdul Kaleem — along with Anil Shukla from Madhya Pradesh, and Gurmeet Singh from Punjab.
The NC chief criticised Pakistan’s long-standing interference and proxy war. “Pakistan has been sending killers since 1947. Did that create Pakistan here? If it hasn’t happened in 75 years, how will it happen now? For god’s sake, focus on your own country’s progress and leave us alone.”
“These monsters killed labourers and a doctor. These people came here to work and make ends meet under tough conditions. What was their fault?” he said Tuesday amid reports of migrant workers leaving Kashmir out of fear.
For her part, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti urged CM Omar Abdullah and lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha to intervene and ensure the safety of non-Kashmiri workers.
“After the barbaric attack at Sonamarg there are reports that the local admin is pressurising non local labourers to leave the valley immediately. While I understand their obvious sense of panic but asking them to leave in this manner is not a solution,” she wrote on X.
Forcing them to leave will only send a negative message after “peaceful, terror-free elections”, she said, cautioning that such actions could lead to backlash against Kashmiris working and studying in other states.
J&K police refuted social media reports alleging that the Union territory’s administration had asked migrant workers to leave Kashmir valley. “Police are committed to ensuring security for all to pursue their livelihoods without fear or intimidation. People are advised not to believe unverified and fake reports on social media,” an officer said.
However, many panic-stricken migrant workers and their families had left Kashmir and some were seen Tuesday at the railway station in Jammu.
“Labourers from other parts of the country are worried and are thinking of leaving,” said Gulzar Ahmad, an orchard owner in Pulwama. “Locals are trying to allay their fears, ease their concerns.” Migrant workers form the backbone of Kashmir’s orchard economy — picking, packing, and hauling during the apple harvest season.
