Patna: A local court in Bihar has ordered the registration of a treason case against former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah, for his recent remarks regarding Pakistan-administered Kashmir, which he allegedly claimed belonged to Pakistan.
The court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Jayram Prasad, in Bihar’s West Champaran, ordered the registration of the case against Abdullah — who heads the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference — on Monday, acting on a complaint petition filed by a local lawyer Muraad Ali.
In his petition, Ali said Abdullah’s outbursts were not only anti-national in nature but also divisive.
“Such statements threaten to destabilise the country and hence severe punitive action should be initiated against Abdullah,” Ali had said in his petition.
The court took cognisance of his petition and directed the local police to register a First Information Report (FIR) against the ex-J & K chief minister.
Abdullah had on Saturday said Pakistan-administered Kashmir belonged to Pakistan and the fact would not change no matter how many wars were fought over the issue.
“Pakistan-administered Kashmir belongs to Pakistan and this side to India. I tell this to them, and to the world. This is not going to change. Let them fight how many wars they want to,” Abdullah had reportedly told the media on Saturday on the sidelines of an event at National Conference headquarters in Srinagar.
He added, “Internal autonomy is our right. They should restore it. Only then the peace will return.”
However, New Delhi maintains Kashmir belongs to India in its entirety, as it was invaded by Pakistan in 1947.
On February 22, 1994, the Indian Parliament passed a unanimous resolution that demanded, “Pakistan must vacate the areas of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, which they have occupied through aggression; and resolves that all attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of India will be met resolutely.”
The resolution added that “the state of Jammu & Kashmir has been, is and shall be an integral part of India and any attempts to separate it from the rest of the country will be resisted by all necessary means.”
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar sharply objected to Abdullah’s observations over Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
“While everybody is free to air his views in democracy, I believe Kashmir is an integral part of India and our stand on the [Kashmir issue] remains unchanged,” Kumar told the media on Monday.
But, Abdullah’s has got unexpected support from veteran Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor. “Farooq Abdullah ji, Salaam! Totally agree with you, sir. J & K is ours, and PoK is theirs. This is the only way we can solve our problem. Accept it, I am 65 years old and I want to see Pakistan before I die. I want my children to see their roots. Bas karva Dijiye. Jai Mata Di!” Kapoor tweeted on Saturday (November 11).
