Omar advises Ladakh leadership not to rely on verbal assurances from Centre
17/09/2026
Srinagar, Sep 16: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday advised the leadership of Ladakh and Kargil not to rely on verbal assurances from the Centre regarding their demands for constitutional safeguards for land and jobs, saying any commitment should be provided in writing and formally signed.
"Ladakh has its own issues, our issues are separate. However, as a friend and a well-wisher, I can only advise the leadership of Ladakh not to rely on any verbal assurances from the central government unless they provide those in writing and officially signed," Abdullah told reporters in Pulwama, where he was reviewing development projects.
Referring to the Centre's assurance regarding restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said the Union Territory had also received a verbal commitment that statehood would be restored after the Assembly elections.
"We ourselves have been victims of this. We too were given verbal assurances that statehood would be restored immediately after the (Assembly) election. Almost two years have passed since and that promise has not materialised," he said. Abdullah urged the leaders of Ladakh and Kargil to seek a formal written commitment, preferably in the form of an affidavit, before relying on assurances from the Centre.
On development, the chief minister said Pulwama was likely to figure among the top five of Jammu and Kashmir's 20 districts in terms of execution of projects and utilisation of allocated funds.
He asked the district administration to accelerate spending during the remaining two to three months of the current working season and said additional funds could be arranged if the existing allocation was fully utilised.
Abdullah said projects worth around Rs. 100 crore had either been inaugurated or had their foundation stones laid in Pulwama on Wednesday. The projects include roads, schools, hospital works, bridges and a dairy-processing village. Responding to a question on the ongoing strike by National Health Mission employees, Abdullah said protesting was a democratic right but maintained that his government would hold talks on their demands only after the agitation was called off.
"My earnest request to them would be to kindly choose the path of dialogue because, ultimately, a solution will emerge only through discussion. We cannot hold talks while protests are ongoing," he said.
Asked about Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma's remarks on the short duration of the Assembly session, Abdullah declined to respond, saying he would reply to one statement from the opposition leader each month.
"I responded to one yesterday, the next response will come in October," he said.
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