Jammu, Jan 20 : National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday asserted that Ladakh would sooner or later rejoin Jammu and Kashmir, claiming that people in the region are now regretting the decision taken in 2019.
Speaking to reporters in Jammu, Abdullah said the creation of the Union Territory of Ladakh has resulted in widespread dissatisfaction among its residents. He claimed that voices from the region are increasingly expressing a desire to be reintegrated with Jammu and Kashmir.
Commenting on demands for separate statehood for Jammu, Abdullah said such calls reflect a lack of understanding of ground realities. He cautioned that dividing regions on political lines would only weaken the social and political fabric of Jammu and Kashmir.
Responding to PDP president Mehbooba Mufti’s demand for the creation of more districts in the Chenab Valley and Pir Panjal regions, Abdullah outrightly rejected the proposal, stating that Jammu and Kashmir already has an adequate number of districts. He alleged that some elements are attempting to revive ideas akin to the Dixon Plan to divide the region, which he said would never be acceptable.
On relations with neighbouring countries, Abdullah remarked that neighbours cannot be changed and blamed what he described as “Pakistan phobia” for many of the prevailing issues in the region.
Reacting to Mehbooba Mufti’s remarks on unemployment, Abdullah questioned her tenure as chief minister and asked what concrete measures she had taken to address joblessness while in power.
On international affairs, Abdullah, responding to a query about former US President Donald Trump reportedly inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for talks related to a Gaza peace plan, said India and Trump share close relations. He expressed hope that the bitterness currently seen at the global level would eventually ease.