Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday slammed the remarks made by Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on August 5 on the 7th anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, stating that despite the region having its own grievances on the 2019 decision, it is the internal matter of the country.
Responding to a question on Sharif’s remarks describing the decision as a “human rights violation”, Abdullah slammed Islamabad over its own rights violations in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), asserting that Pakistan has “nothing to do” with India’s internal affairs.
“They are the ones committing human rights violations in the part of Jammu and Kashmir under their control. How many people have they killed recently? We have our grievances regarding August 5th, but it’s our internal matter. It has nothing to do with Pakistan,” the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister said.
He further urged Pakistan to refrain from interfering in India’s internal matters and focus on addressing issues in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
“They should stop interfering in these things because the more they interfere, the weaker our case becomes. They should kindly fix the situation in the territory they occupy. They should stop the human rights violations and the killings occurring there at the hands of the rangers,” Abdullah said.
“We will settle what we need to with the central government regarding our part, but they should not interfere in our affairs,” he added.
Omar Abdullah’s remarks came after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar issued statements marking August 5 as “Youm-e-Istehsal” or the day of exploitation, referring to the abrogation of Article 370 by India in 2019.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had earlier rejected Pakistan’s comments, describing them as a “desperate manoeuvre” aimed at spreading misinformation and diverting attention from Islamabad’s own human rights record.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, in a statement on Wednesday, stated that the constitutional changes introduced on August 5, 2019, were an internal matter of India and that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh remain an integral and indivisible part of the country.
“The constitutional changes made on August 5, 2019, are entirely an internal matter of India. These decisions have brought unprecedented socio-economic development, good governance, and democratic empowerment to the people of the region. Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on matters that are strictly internal to India,” Jaiswal said.
The MEA also accused Pakistan of suppressing fundamental rights in PoJK and highlighted reports of violence during recent protests in the region.
“Instead of engaging in predictable diplomatic theatre, Pakistan would be well advised to stop the bloodshed in PoJK, take credible, verifiable, and irreversible action against terror networks operating from its soil, and immediately vacate all Indian territories under its illegal and forcible occupation,” the MEA added.
However, Abdullah on Wednesday reiterated that his party, the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), remains committed to reversing the changes introduced in 2019 that altered the region’s constitutional status.
In a post on X, Abdullah said his party had “not forgotten” and had not accepted the current circumstances in Jammu and Kashmir.
“7 years, we haven’t forgotten & we haven’t reconciled far less accepted our current circumstances. My party & I remain committed to reversing all that was done to J&K that took away our rights & threatens our identity. ‘The woods are lovely, dark & deep. But I have promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep’,” he wrote, quoting lines from American poet Robert Frost’s poem Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.
In August 2019, the Government of India revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 and reorganised the erstwhile state into two Union Territories — Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Meanwhile, he also said that fruit-laden trucks from Kashmir and petroleum tankers from Jammu were being given priority on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway to ensure uninterrupted supply of essential commodities and timely transportation of horticultural produce during the ongoing Amarnath yatra.
He reviewed the traffic situation on the highway following landslides triggered by heavy rains last week in Udhampur-Ramban stretch.
Speaking to reporters at Peera in Ramban district during his journey from Jammu to Srinagar, Abdullah said that the government was mindful of the ongoing fruit season and the need to ensure that growers’ produce reached markets without delay.
“I am aware that this is the fruit season. People want their produce to reach the markets before it perishes. At the same time, the Amarnath Yatra is also underway, which has resulted in certain restrictions on the highway. Nevertheless, fruit-laden trucks are being given priority. Petroleum tankers coming from Jammu are also being accorded priority to ensure that there is no shortage of essential supplies,” he said.
The chief minister said there was no alternative to the Jammu-Srinagar highway and appealed to commuters to remain patient whenever traffic was temporarily halted because of rain-triggered landslides or road restoration works.
He said the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Jammu and Kashmir Police, Traffic Police and the civil administration were making sustained efforts to maintain traffic flow and reopen the road at the earliest whenever disruptions occurred.
Abdullah said he had reviewed the condition of the highway in Udhampur and Ramban districts, held meetings with NHAI officials and visited affected stretches to assess the situation on the ground.
Referring to the ongoing Amarnath Yatra, he said the pilgrimage was progressing smoothly with a large number of devotees having visited the holy cave shrine so far.
“It is encouraging that a large number of pilgrims have visited the holy cave shrine this year and all of them have returned safely so far. We hope that even more pilgrims will come and complete their pilgrimage successfully,” he said.
Earlier, the chief minister made a brief halt at the famous Khajura Dhaba at Peera, where he had a traditional lunch comprising rajma, rice, desi ghee and anardana chutney before resuming his journey to Srinagar.
Deputy Commissioner Ramban Mohammad Alyas Khan, Senior Superintendent of Police Arun Gupta and other district officials were present during his halt.
Backs Bhagwat’s ‘Gen Z grievances genuine’ remark
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday supported Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s remark that “Gen Z grievances are genuine and protesting doesn’t make them anti-national”.
Referring to Mohan Bhagwat’s remark, the chief minister said it was encouraging that a distinction was made between opposing the government and acting against the country.
“The good thing is that Mohan Bhagwat ji has acknowledged this distinction. Opposing the government is not the same as opposing the country. In fact, opposing the government is often beneficial for the nation because it helps correct mistakes wherever they occur,” he said.
On Thursday while addressing a gathering of around 2,000 Gen Z and Gen Alpha members at India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN) 15th anniversary event in Mumbai, Bhagwat said, “If Gen Z members are agitating, they are not anti-national; they are our people. It is our next generation. You need a dialogue and rapport with them.”
Abdullah urged authorities to stop action against students who participated in the agitation over alleged irregularities in the NEET examination and said protesting against the government should not be equated with opposing the nation.
Abdullah said the agitation helped ensure accountability, expressing hope that it would lead to improvements in the conduct of future examinations.
Expressing concern over reports of action against the protesters, Abdullah said students were allegedly being manhandled, booked in criminal cases and harassed on social media. In some instances, police reportedly summoned their relatives. “I believe this entire course of action should stop,” he said.
The Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) “Sansad Chalo” protest march turned violent in New Delhi on July 20. Police said more than 118 police personnel, including several senior officers, were injured and around 70 protesters 60 protesters also sustained injuries in the scuffle.
On July 25, 2026, the CJP called off its 36-day youth-led protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. The agitation ended immediately after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned and the government agreed to key demands, including compensation for affected families and the withdrawal of FIRs against protesters.
