Farooq says Ladakh could rejoin IIOJK as discontent grows over UT status
Jammu: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah has said that Ladakh is likely to be reunited with Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, citing growing resentment and political disillusionment among the people of the region following its separation in 2019.
According to Kashmir Media Service, talking to reporters in Jammu, Farooq Abdullah said the Modi government’s illegal decision to carve Ladakh out as a separate Union Territory has failed to deliver on its promises and has instead led to widespread dissatisfaction. He said people in Ladakh are now openly expressing regret over the move, complaining of political marginalisation, lack of meaningful representation, and unfulfilled development assurances by New Delhi.
Abdullah maintained that these realities are steadily strengthening voices in Ladakh calling for reintegration with occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
He said the region’s geographic, economic, and historical links with Jammu and Kashmir cannot be ignored, adding that artificial administrative divisions imposed without public consent have only deepened alienation. Abdullah stressed that the unity of regions is essential for political stability and equitable development.
Abdullah also dismissed demands for separate statehood for Jammu and rejected Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti’s proposal for the creation of new districts in Chenab Valley and Pir Panjal, saying such moves would weaken the region and revive divisive concepts.
