"Have our grievances, but it's our internal matter": Omar Abdullah shuns Pak PM's remarks on anniversary of Article 370 abrogation

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.

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. (ANI)