In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has kicked off a massive door-to-door signature campaign to demand the much-needed restoration of statehood for the region, a step aimed at mobilizing public support and amplifying the voices calling for the territory’s rightful autonomy.According to Kashmir Media Service, Omar Abdullah, speaking in Srinagar said that the Indian Supreme Court had recently given the Modi government eight weeks to respond to a petition seeking the restoration of statehood for IIOJK.

 "We will take these eight weeks to visit every one of the 90 assembly areas for a signature campaign demanding the return of statehood. If people are not willing to sign the petition, I will accept the result," he said. Omar Abdullah emphasized that the signature campaign would be a powerful tool to show the Indian government the strong demand from the people of IIOJK for the restoration of their statehood. 

He stated that this effort would not only make the people's voices heard but also put pressure on the authorities to honor their constitutional rights. The campaign, he said was a peaceful yet firm way to demand justice and a return to the region's full autonomy. He added that the signed documents from the campaign would be submitted to the Supreme Court. Referring to the Supreme Court’s comments on the Pahalgam attack during the hearing of the petition, Omar Abdullah expressed his disappointment. 

He said it was unfair for the people of the region to be held responsible for a crime in which they had no involvement. "It is unfortunate that the Supreme Court suggested the Pahalgam attack should be considered when deciding on statehood. Why are we being punished for a crime we had no part in? From Kathua to Kupwara, people took to the streets on their own to protest against the Pahalgam attack. Yet, today, we are being penalized for it," he said. 

On August 14, the Indian Supreme Court said that the "real situation" in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, including the Pahalgam attack, must be considered. The bench, led by Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran, stated that incidents like the Pahalgam attack couldn’t be ignored. This came after petitioners argued that 21 months had passed since the court’s decision on Article 370, and during that time, the Indian government had promised to restore statehood.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)