Kashmir terror attack: ‘Pak should stop killing innocents if it is interested in friendship with India’, says Farooq Abdullah

If Pakistan's leadership is interested in friendship with India, it should stop killing innocent in Kashmir, said National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah on Monday while reacting to the killing of seven employees of a construction company at Gagangir in Ganderbal.

"If Pakistan's leadership is truly interested in friendship with India, it should stop killing innocents,’’ he said. “Kashmir can never become part of Pakistan. I repeat, never.” He said Pakistan tried it in 1947 by sending rebels, and since then, they have continuously tried. “Have they succeeded?" he asked while speaking to the reporters.

He said no dialogue with Pakistan can take place unless the killings in Kashmir stop. "What was the fault of those who were killed yesterday?" he asked. He said Pakistan should focus on its people and leave Kashmir to Kashmiris. "We want to serve our people, end poverty and suffering. You are killing innocents here," he said. He said such violent acts would undoubtedly cast a shadow not only on tourism but also on the lives of everyone in Kashmir. 

The killings happened a day when 2,000 athletes, including 50 international participants, were in Srinagar for the first-ever Kashmir Marathon.

The deceased have been identified as Gurmeet Singh from Gurdaspur, Punjab; Dr Shahnawaz Qadir Dar from Budgam; Anil Kumar Shukla; Faheem Nazir; Shashi Abrol from Jammu; and Muhammad Hanif and Muhammad Kaleem from Bihar. The injured include 35-year-old Inder Yadav from Bihar; 45-year-old Mohan Lal and 36-year-old Jagtar Singh from Kathua; 30-year-old driver Ishfaq Ahmad Bhat from Safapora; and 25-year-old Mushtaq Ahmad Lone from Preng. All are being treated at SKIMS, Soura in Srinagar.

Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also condemned the attack and called it "outrageous”. He expressed deep sadness, saying, "Islam, like all religions, opposes such inhuman acts. Every life is valuable, and losing it this way is extremely painful. This is a harsh reminder of the ongoing violence and uncertainty we have been facing for decades." He also prayed for the quick recovery of the injured and strength for the families of those who lost their lives.

The attack occurred while the workers were having dinner in the mess. The militants also set two vehicles belonging to the construction company ablaze before fleeing. Security forces launched a search operation immediately after the attack to locate the culprits.

This is the second such incident in three days, following the killing of Ashok Kumar, a labourer from Bihar, in Shopian on October 18. His bullet-riddled body was found in a field some distance from where he had been harvesting maize with other migrant labourers.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah condemned the attack, which occurred just days after his swearing-in. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, People's Conference President Sajad Lone, and JKPCC President Tariq Hameed Karra also expressed their condemnation, calling for immediate measures to prevent further attacks on innocent workers. Reacting to the incident, Home Minister Amit Shah described the attack as a “despicable act of cowardice.”