Observation unfortunate, had high expectations from apex court: NC

The two main political parties in JK — the ruling National Conference and the People’s Democratic Party — on Thursday were miffed by the Supreme Court linking restoration of Jammu and Kashmir statehood with the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack which killed 26 people.

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Centre to respond to petitions seeking directions to the Centre to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir even as it noted that the April 22 Pahalgam terrorist attack can’t be ignored.

After the SC remarks, National Conference chief spokesperson and MLA Tanvir Sadiq said it was “unfortunate”, stating the people of Jammu and Kashmir had “high expectations” from the Supreme Court. He said people of Jammu and Kashmir should not be punished. “When Pahalgam was attacked, you will remember that we did not have statehood then and everything was in the hands of the Centre. So this observation is also wrong. The people of Jammu and Kashmir should not be punished for anything,” he said.

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said terror attacks happened even when it was a state.

“It is not as if statehood is responsible for this. This will happen because we do not have good relations with our neighbours,” he told reporters in Srinagar.

Abdullah said people are hopeful that the Supreme Court would restore the rights of people of Jammu and Kashmir.

People’s Democratic Party head and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said the top court’s reference to the recent Pahalgam terror attack “in the context of granting statehood to Jammu and Kashmir underscores a deeper issue about Government of India’s continued lack of confidence in the region’s stability.”

“Even after revoking J&K’s special status and reducing it to a Union Territory, the Centre appears unwilling to ease its tight control. This reflects a deeper political and psychological deadlock,” she wrote on X.

She said PDP maintains that the Jammu and Kashmir issue goes far beyond questions of statehood or constitutional status.

“Unless New Delhi engages with the political aspirations of the people and addresses the core issue head on, it will remain on uncertain footing regardless of the force it deploys,” she said. “It is time the Government of India corrects past mis-steps and initiates a sincere process of dialogue and reconciliation to bring lasting peace and dignity to the region.”

Acting on a petition, a Bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran on Thursday issued notice to the Centre and posted it for hearing after eight weeks. It issued notice on another petition filed by one Irfan Hafiz Lone on the issue.

A five-judge Constitution Bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud (since retired) had unanimously directed the Election Commission to hold elections in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir by September 30, 2024, without waiting for restoration of statehood. The elections were conducted in September-October 2024.