Kashmir Impulse Desk
Srinagar, Sep 15
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday described the condemnation of the 2025 Pahalgam attack at the BRICS summit as a significant achievement for India’s foreign policy.
Abdullah said the explicit reference to the attack was important because several countries with close ties to Pakistan were represented at the summit.
“The fact that Pahalgam itself was condemned is a big thing,” Abdullah told reporters in Srinagar.
The BRICS New Delhi Declaration adopted on Saturday condemned the April 2025 attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which 26 people were killed, and called for zero tolerance towards state-sponsored cross-border terrorism.
The declaration also reaffirmed the group’s commitment to combating terrorism, preventing the cross-border movement of militants, disrupting terror financing and dismantling safe havens.
Abdullah also welcomed what he described as a reduction in tensions along the Line of Actual Control, saying any easing of tensions would benefit people living near the border.
He said he hoped similar progress would eventually be seen along the Line of Control.
Commenting on China’s positive remarks about India’s foreign policy, Abdullah said New Delhi should not seek validation from other countries.
“Our foreign policy is our own. Why do we look for other countries’ certificates?” he said.
Turning to domestic politics, Abdullah criticised the BJP’s approach to the proposed Uniform Civil Code, saying the party should introduce legislation in Parliament if it had sufficient numbers to pass it.
“If you have the numbers, bring it to Parliament. Why are you doing it through different states?” he said.
He questioned whether a law implemented only in BJP-governed states could be described as universal and said issues of such national significance should be decided by Parliament.
Abdullah also referred to other proposals, including “One Nation, One Election” and reservation, saying the BJP had previously discussed such measures without bringing them before Parliament.
