National Conference supremo Farooq Abdullah on Saturday urged the people of Jammu and Kashmir to stand against the culprits of attacks like Pahalgam for progress and prosperity, said that the doors of hell are open for those who are behind the massacre. The former Chief Minister of the erstwhile state visited the house of Pony Ride Director Adil Hussain Shah in Haptanar in this district of South Kashmir, one of the 26 victims of the attack on April 22.
Abdullah said, “He (Shah) is a martyr. He sacrificed his life, he was not afraid of the guns of animals. This is ‘humanity’, this is Kashmiriyat. He who is afraid dies.” He said, “We have to fight them (terrorists) and fight them with courage. We can never be happy and prosperous and until we fight them, we can never move forward. Therefore, we should dare.”
However, Abdullah refused to comment on India’s action against Pakistan after the attack. “Our Prime Minister will take such a decision.” On the threatening remarks of Pakistan People’s Party leader Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari against India, the National Conference chief said, “He (Bhutto) will continue to issue a statement … If we care about his statements, we cannot move forward.”
After India suspended the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan after the Pahalgam attack, Bhutto -Zardari was quoted by The News saying, “Sindhu is ours and ours – either our water will flow in it or their blood.” Abdullah also called for a re -considering the treaty. He said, “We have been saying for a long time that we need to reconsider the Indus Water Treaty. We are suffering from this. The rivers are ours, but we are suffering. I am not saying that water should be stopped, but we also have the right over it.”
Abdullah said that there is a shortage of water in Jammu and the water of Chenab cannot be sent to the residents of the area due to the treaty. “We tried to deliver the water of Chenab to them, but the World Bank did not help us, saying that it comes under the Indus Water Treaty. Today we have the opportunity to deliver water from there (Chenab) to Jammu. We also have the right over rivers, not only (Pakistan).”
The Indus Water Treaty in the World Bank’s mediation has controlled the distribution and use of the Indus River and its tributaries between India and Pakistan since 1960. Abdullah said that India cannot create a project on its rivers without the permission of Pakistan due to the treaty. He said, “Are you not deprived of electricity? We have rivers from where we can generate thousands of megawatts and we can never be deprived of electricity. But we cannot make a project, because they (Pakistan) do not allow us to allow us. So we have to consider it again and we will do so by God’s will.”
When asked about the situation like war between the two nuclear powers after the attack, Abdullah said, “I have no answer to such questions.” Speaking on the Pahalgam massacre, the National Conference chief urged people not to be afraid of such attacks and said that those behind it will have to rot in hell. He said, “Those who did this and those behind it killed humanity. The doors of hell are open for them. They cannot enter heaven.”
During his visit, Abdullah presented the original salary of Pahalgam MLA Altaf Kalu to Hyder Shah, the father of the Pony Ride Director. Hyder Shah thanked Abdullah and National Conference leaders for the support and solidarity during this period. Abdullah later visited Pahalgam and interacted with several tourists. He also took a selfie with him.