Kathmandu— On Friday, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah criticized Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s comments regarding the seventh anniversary of the revocation of Article 370. Despite acknowledging regional grievances over the decision made in 2019, Abdullah emphasized that it is an internal matter for India and urged Pakistan to refrain from interfering.

Pakistan's Criticism

Shehbaz Sharif marked August 5 as “Youm-e-Istehsal” or the day of exploitation, referring to the abrogation of Article 370 by India in 2019. The Pakistani Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar issued statements criticizing the decision, describing it as a human rights violation.

Abdullah's Response

Responding to Sharif’s remarks, Abdullah pointed out Pakistan’s own human rights violations in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). He urged Islamabad to focus on addressing issues within the territory it occupies rather than interfering in India’s internal affairs. "They should stop interfering in these things because the more they interfere, the weaker our case becomes," he said.

MEA's Stance

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) earlier rejected Pakistan’s comments, describing them as a “desperate manoeuvre” aimed at spreading misinformation and diverting attention from Islamabad’s own human rights record. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that the constitutional changes introduced on August 5, 2019, were an internal matter of India.

Commitment to Reversal

Abdullah reiterated his party’s commitment to reversing the changes made in 2019. In a post on X, he wrote that his party had “not forgotten” and remained committed to restoring Jammu and Kashmir's previous constitutional status.

(With inputs from ANI)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.