Srinagar: Farooq Abdullah, President of the National Conference, has once again voiced a strong demand for the restoration of statehood to the region of Jammu and Kashmir, currently designated as a union territory by the Indian government.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Abdullah, in a statement made in Srinagar, firmly rejected the union territory status imposed on Jammu and Kashmir. “We don’t want to accept the Union Territory status. The time has come, it should be finished now,” he declared, signaling a push against the 2019 decision by the Indian government to revoke the region’s autonomous status under Article 370 and split it into two union territories.

Abdullah also noted that preparations are underway for upcoming Panchayat elections, expected to be conducted soon, which are seen as a significant step towards normalizing governance in the region despite the political and civil discontent about the central government’s handling of the territory’s status.