New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah urged people to avoid linking Kashmiri Muslims with terrorism while speaking at the Hindustan Leadership Summit 2025. He said Kashmiris felt deep pain over the recent attacks in Baisaran and Delhi. He stressed that those involved in extremist activity form a small minority.
He said the year 2025 brought hardship for Jammu and Kashmir. He referred to the attack in Baisaran that took more than two dozen lives. He also mentioned the blast near Red Fort in Delhi that investigators linked to a conspiracy planned in the region. He said people across colleges, universities and workplaces in the Union Territory want stability and normal life.
He said the Pahalgam attack in April changed the economic landscape of the Union Territory. He said the region had a weak economy and the attack increased challenges for workers and business owners who depend on tourism.
He raised concerns about rising othering of communities in India. He referred to a recent order in a northern state that asked Kashmiris and foreign nationals to register with police after the Delhi blast. He said he reached out to leaders there after learning of the directive, although the order had already created tension.
Responding to a question on home grown terrorism, he said it never disappeared. He said the removal of Article 370 and the change in Jammu and Kashmir’s status did not address the deeper issues that drive militancy.
