Omar calls for discussion on Pahalgam terror attack in Parliament

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said that the recent terror attack in Pahalgam and the alleged intelligence failure surrounding it should have been discussed in Parliament before the debate on Operation Sindoor.

Speaking to the media in Jammu, Omar said, “The government had earlier announced that Operation Sindoor would continue until peace is fully restored in J&K. If this has been reiterated in Parliament, it is not something new. While it is encouraging that Operation Sindoor is being discussed, it would have been more appropriate to address the Pahalgam attack first.”

Referring to the recent admission by J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha of intelligence and security lapses in the Pahalgam attack, Omar stressed that Parliament must also deliberate on this issue. “There should be a debate to identify those responsible for the failures,” he said.

The chief minister also responded to reports of a counterterror operation in Srinagar earlier in the day. Three militants were killed in the encounter, and security forces suspect that at least one of them may have been involved in the Pahalgam attack.

“If confirmed, it is good. Since the day of the Pahalgam attack, our police, Army, and paramilitary forces have been pursuing the attackers. Even if one of them has been killed in this encounter, it is good news,” Omar added.

On the Congress party’s announcement that it would launch protest demonstrations to demand statehood for Jammu and Kashmir, Omar responded, “We are expecting some announcement in this Parliament session regarding statehood. Let’s see what happens. If nothing comes out of it, we’ll decide our next steps. I won’t go on a strike during the session.”

The CM further said that he has always favoured talks between India and Pakistan but added that the latter needs to understand its responsibility in the dialogue process. “While we have always favoured talks with Pakistan, I have been saying that making the atmosphere conducive for dialogue is not the sole responsibility of India. Pakistan needs to understand its responsibility and create an atmosphere for dialogue to start," Omar said.

He was responding to a question on PDP president Mehbooba Mufti once again batting for a dialogue with Pakistan. "Pahalgam-type attacks weaken people like us who support dialogue (with Pakistan). We would like Pakistan to play a role in creating a conducive atmosphere, which would not only help start a dialogue, but also ensure that the talks reach a conclusion," the chief minister said.