Pahalgam attack underscores need for round-the-clock vigilance: Omar Abdullah

Kolkata: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed, has underscored the need for round-the-clock alertness to prevent such incidents from recurring.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a tourism promotion event here aimed at reviving travel to J&K, Abdullah said, “The Pahalgam incident has shown that we need to be alert 24×7 to prevent such incidents from recurring.”

Asked about the delay in arresting the culprits behind the Pahalgam attack, the chief minister said that investigations take time and that there was no fixed timeline for such actions.

“Arrests do not depend on any time frame. I am confident that one day the perpetrators of the attack will be apprehended,” he asserted.

The April 22 attack in Pahalgam had sent shockwaves across the country and raised serious concerns over security in the region, especially in the lead-up to the Amarnath Yatra.

However, Omar Abdullah struck an optimistic note about the recovery of the tourism sector, despite the setback.

“Tourism has started reviving in Jammu and Kashmir. Maybe hotel rates are lower than they were before the Pahalgam attack, but people have surely started coming, including for the Amarnath Yatra,” he said.

On the Supreme Court’s recent order on the special revision of electoral rolls, Abdullah said the verdict must be respected.

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has triggered a major political controversy in Bihar, where assembly polls are due later this year, with the opposition INDIA bloc alleging that it was designed to “benefit the ruling NDA”, a charge denied by the EC that is carrying out the massive exercise.

The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the Election Commission to continue with its SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar calling it a “constitutional mandate”.

Asked about the INDIA bloc and recent remarks by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Abdullah refrained from getting into personalities but suggested that the responsibility of keeping the opposition alliance united lies with the biggest player.

“It is not about me or Mamata Banerjee, but the main responsibility is that of the biggest stakeholder to make it a success,” he said, indirectly referring to the Congress party.

Reacting sharply to the BJP’s repeated jibe that West Bengal under Mamata Banerjee was being turned into another Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said such statements were misleading and ironic.

Abdullah also reiterated his demand for early restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

“This is the first time in the history of the country that a state has been broken into Union Territories. We are seeking an early transition back to statehood,” he added.