New Delhi: Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) president and former chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said “nothing came out” of Operation Sindoor and urged India and Pakistan to work towards improving relations. His remarks came a day after an accidental explosion at a police station in Nowgam, on the outskirts of Srinagar, killed nine people and injured 32.
Speaking to reporters, Abdullah said India’s precision strikes on terrorist camps in Pakistan following the recent Pahalgam terror attack, code named Operation Sindoor, had not produced any positive outcome. “I hope no such thing (Operation Sindoor) will happen. Nothing came out of it. Our people died. Our borders were compromised. I hope both nations improve their relations. That is the only way,” he said, quoting former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s line: “Friends can be changed, but neighbours cannot.”
Blast at Nowgam police station
Abdullah’s comments came in the backdrop of Friday night’s blast at the Nowgam police station. The explosion occurred around 11.20 pm while officers, forensic experts and revenue officials were sampling explosive material recovered from the Faridabad “white collar” terror module linked to the recent Red Fort blast in Delhi.
Jammu & Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat said a large quantity of explosive substances, chemicals and reagents had been seized from the module on November 10. “Due to the unstable and sensitive nature of the recovery, the sampling process was being conducted with utmost caution. Unfortunately, an accidental explosion took place. Any other speculation about the cause is unnecessary,” he said at a press conference in Srinagar on Saturday.
The nine who died included a member of the J&K Police’s Special Investigation Agency, three forensic science laboratory personnel, two crime-scene photographers, two revenue officials accompanying a magistrate, and a tailor attached to the team. The injured include 27 policemen, two revenue officers and three civilians living near the police station.
‘Fingers are being pointed at every Kashmiri’
Calling for an independent probe, Abdullah said the tragedy stemmed from mishandling of the highly volatile material. “This is our mistake. We should have consulted experts who understand such explosives before dealing with them ourselves. You saw the result—nine people lost their lives and several houses were damaged,” he said.
Abdullah also linked the incident to the broader climate of suspicion towards Kashmiris following the Red Fort blast. “We have not come out of the crisis in Delhi, where fingers are being pointed at every Kashmiri. When will they accept that we are Indians and not responsible for this?” he asked.
