July 21, 2025: Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, has made it clear that Pakistan's "inimical intentions" remain the greatest obstacle to achieving a terror-free Jammu and Kashmir. He also warned Islamabad that India now considers any terror attack to be a war crime. Abdullah stated in an interview that the recent Pahalgam attack, which resulted in the deaths of 26 people, had clearly demonstrated that the narrative that the repeal of Article 370 was the solution to terrorism in the region was false. We will never fully achieve a terror-free Jammu and Kashmir if Pakistan's intentions are malicious, regardless of what we do. And Pahalgam, I believe, has demonstrated that,” Abdullah stated. “The BJP put in a lot of effort to promote the narrative that Article 370 was the cause of the terror in Jammu and Kashmir. We are aware that is incorrect. Terror in Jammu and Kashmir is the result of Pakistan’s intentions. And therefore, that’s why the removal of Article 370 did not stop terror in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
The chief minister warned that the Indian government has set a "very low bar" for what constitutes an act of aggression, stressing that Pakistan must now reevaluate its strategy and highlighting a significant shift in New Delhi's posture. Abdullah emphasized, "The biggest challenge will be to convince Pakistan that its support for these kinds of activities is not only bad for Pakistan but also for us." "Pakistan needs to seriously consider whether it wants to plunge the neighborhood into a war, and given now the sort of very low bar that the Government of India has set, that any attack will be seen as an act of war," On the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, mainly tourists, Abdullah acknowledged Lt Governor Manoj Sinha’s admission of a “security and intelligence failure” and termed it as a positive first step.
He said, however, that it wasn't "good enough." He stated, "26 innocent people were brutally murdered. 26 people died." Where were the errors made? Due to the Pahalgam incident, two nations and nuclear powers went to war. “As a first step, it is appreciable that the Lt Governor (Manoj Sinha) has said that he is responsible. But since we now know that it was a security and intelligence error, accountability needs to be fixed further down the chain of command. The next step would be to fix responsibility. Then there must be a head turn,” he stated. Post Pahalgam, the chief minister expressed optimism to a question whether his government could balance the fragile peace with the vital need to revive tourism saying, “We have to trust our forces to do what is right and to ensure that any gaps that have been identified as a result of Pahalgam are plugged.” He stressed about his government’s push to restart tourism, saying “tourism is an important part of J&K’s economy” and said a vast number of jobs and its appeal as a destination people genuinely want to visit.
The CM questions the "delay" in filling Assembly and Rajya Sabha seats: Omar Abdullah, the chief minister of J&K, has expressed concern about the "undue delay" in filling Rajya Sabha seats and holding byelections for two assembly seats. Since 2021, the UT has not been represented in the Upper House of Parliament, despite having four seats in the Rajya Sabha. Abdullah called on the Election Commission (EC) to clarify the reasons for the delay, stating, “We don’t understand... Why these elections are being put on the back burner is beyond me. Omar stated that despite the fact that the J&K assembly has met twice since the previous election, no polls have been held for the Rajya Sabha seats. He emphasized the significance of having a representative in the Upper House, regardless of political affiliation.