Pahalgam attackers not locals; probably got shelter by ‘coercion’: CM Omar Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Tuesday (June 24, 2025) that none of the attackers involved in the Pahalgam terror attack were locals, and those who allegedly provided shelter “probably did so under duress.”

“There was no local involvement in the Pahalgam incident. The people who shot and killed those 26 persons were all outsiders,” Mr. Abdullah, who attended a function to promote tourism in Gulmarg, said.

Referring to the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) recent arrests of two locals for harbouring the terrorists, Mr. Abdullah suggested that those arrested “were forced to help under duress.”

“If they (locals) helped the attackers, it was not of their own will. Coercion in such situations cannot be ruled out,” he said.

The Chief Minister urged the NIA “not to draw sweeping conclusions.” “We must not allow the actions of a few foreign militants to paint our people as collaborators,” Mr. Abdullah said.

The NIA has arrested two locals, Parvaiz Ahmad Jothar and Bashir Ahmad Jothar, for their alleged role in providing shelter to the attackers in Pahalgam’s Hill Park area.

Meanwhile, Mr. Abdullah again pressed for restoration of Statehood to J&K. Underlining that Statehood belonged to the people and not the politicians, Mr. Abdullah said. “It’s people’s constitutional right. If statehood is restored, my government would not object in any way,” he added.

Pahalgam terror attack: A tribute to the victims

Mr. Abdullah said if elections are imperative to restore Statehood, his government will not shy away from approaching the Raj Bhawan to dissolve the Assembly. “My legislators won’t be coerced by using this threat of holding elections first,” he added.

He warned against “misleading narratives on restoration of Statehood.” “Don’t attempt to intimidate us with scripted stories. Statehood is our right and not a bargaining chip,” the Chief Minister said.