Will wait for Centre to restore Statehood: Farooq

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 28: National Conference (NC) president Dr Farooq Abdullah today said that his party would continue to wait for the Central Government to restore Statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

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Abdullah said that the reasons behind the delay in restoring Statehood to J&K should be sought from those delaying it.
Addressing reporters at the Hazratbal shrine after paying obeisance on the occasion of Shab-e-Meraj (the night of ascent), Abdullah said that the reasons for the delay should be sought from “those delaying it.”
The NC president emphasized that the party had been waiting for the restoration and would continue to do so. “Ask those who are delaying it. We are waiting for it and will continue to wait,” he said in response to a question about the delay.
Abdullah also reiterated that Article 370 was crucial for safeguarding the erstwhile State and its people, including Dogras and Ladakhis.
While discussing the drug menace, the NC chief termed it a serious challenge and urged the people of Kashmir to take action against it. “This is a wake-up call for the people of Kashmir. There is a lot of dirty money involved in this drug trade, and unless we Kashmiris wake up, we would not be able to control it,” he said.
Abdullah noted that moral and spiritual degradation was contributing to the degradation of society and the spread of the drug menace in the region. “We are Muslims only by name and not by action, and that is why we are struggling,” he said.
The NC president urged the people to introspect and implement necessary social reforms to address the challenges facing the Muslim community.
When asked about the status and protection of Waqf properties, Abdullah underscored their importance for the welfare of the community and expressed hope that “Allah will save us and the Waqf.”
He also expressed satisfaction with the police’s efforts to arrest drug dealers and appealed to the public to provide information about drug trafficking so that the law could deal with the perpetrators and punish them severely.
In response to accusations that Pakistan was responsible for the drug problem in Kashmir, Abdullah said, “I do not know who is to blame. However, we Kashmiris are responsible for destroying ourselves. Act before it’s too late,” he said.