J&K CM Omar Abdullah supports efforts to resume dialogue with Pakistan

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. File | Photo credit: The Hindu

J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday (July 2, 2026) backed initiatives to restore dialogue between India and Pakistan, saying “his party wants relations between the neighbors to improve”.

Referring to a joint open letter signed by more than 100 individuals from India and Pakistan, Mr. Abdullah said, “A request is made to the Prime Minister through a letter to find a way to improve relations between the two countries. No one should object to this. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat recently said that India and Pakistan should talk to each other and establish friendly relations. No one objects when the RSS says so.”

Referring to the statement of former prime minister, the late BJP leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mr Abdullah said: “Mr Vajpayee would say ‘one can change friends but not neighbours’. We also want relations between neighbors to improve.”

He said the cross-border tension between India and Pakistan has been going on for decades and had worsened after last year’s Pahalgam terror attack.

“Our stance on dialogue with Pakistan is not new. It has been consistent for decades. But when we speak, we are accused of being anti-national. Why do similar remarks by leaders from Jammu and Kashmir draw sharp criticism, while pro-dialogue statements by RSS leaders do not?” he added.

“The recent call by more than 100 prominent citizens from both countries reflects a sentiment that has long been expressed across the political spectrum. If calls for peace and engagement are welcome from some quarters, they should not become controversial when expressed from Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

Mr. Abdullah added that there should be no objection to promoting dialogue and normalization of relations between India and Pakistan.

Published – 03 Jul 2026 01:49 IST