Omar Abdullah Sheds Light on Father's Tough Decisions During IC814 Hijacking

Omar Abdullah, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, spoke about his father Farooq Abdullah's challenging decisions during the 1999 IC814 hijacking. He cited a similar 1989 incident involving Rubaiya Syed. Omar criticised the precedent set and clarified the state's non-involvement in Afzal Guru's execution.

Omar Abdullah, the former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, has opened up about the difficult decisions faced by his father, Farooq Abdullah, during the 1999 IC814 hijacking incident. He pointed out that this was not the first time his father had to release prisoners under duress.

In an interview with ANI, Omar Abdullah referenced a similar case in 1989, where Rubaiya Syed, daughter of then Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, was kidnapped by Kashmiri separatists. The central government, led by VP Singh, had released five terrorists in exchange for her safe return. "This was the second time my father was forced to release people. With Rubaiya Syed and the families of the hijacked victims, they used the Rubaiya Syed incident as a benchmark," Abdullah said.

The IC814 hijacking has become a controversial topic, partly fueled by the Netflix series "IC814: The Kandahar Hijack." Omar Abdullah emphasized that the precedent set during Rubaiya Syed's kidnapping created expectations for similar actions during the 1999 hijacking. He criticized the government's choice to negotiate with terrorists, suggesting it set a dangerous precedent.

Abdullah also clarified the Jammu and Kashmir government's non-involvement in the execution of Afzal Guru, stating that state approval would not have been granted. "The J-K government had nothing to do with Afzal Guru's execution. Otherwise, you would have needed state government permission, which would not have been forthcoming," he stated.