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National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on Monday said the Kashmiris threw the two-nation theory into the water in 1947, asserting that the territory wouldn't go with Islamabad.
Explaining the rationale behind his changed stance on dialogue with Pakistan, the former J&K chief minister said: "I used to favour dialogue with Pakistan every time...How will we answer those who lost their loved ones? Are we doing justice? Not Balakot. Today, the nation wants such action to be taken so that these kinds of attacks never happen," Abdullah was quoted by ANI.
Talking about the two-nation theory, Abdullah was clear in his response to Pakistan's oft-repeated subject of 'two-nation theory'. He said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir rejected the theory in 1947 and aren't ready to accept it even today.
"We regret that our neighbour today also does not understand that it has murdered humanity. If they think that by doing this, we will go with Pakistan, we should clear their misunderstanding. We did not go with them in 1947, so why will we go today? We threw the two-nation theory into the water at that time. Today, we are also not ready to accept the two-nation theory. Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, we are all one. We will give a befitting reply to them," Abdullah added.
Days after the Pahalgam attack that claimed at least 28 lives, Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir on Saturday yet again reaffirmed the two-nation theory, asserting that that Muslims and Hindus are "two separate nations. Speaking at the passing-out parade of cadets at the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul, Munir said, “The two-nation theory was based on the fundamental belief that Muslims and Hindus are two separate nations, not one. Muslims are distinct from Hindus in all aspects of life – religion, customs, traditions, thinking and aspirations.”
This is the second time in recent days that Munir has invoked the two-nation theory. On April 16, during a Convention for Overseas Pakistanis in Islamabad, he told attendees to educate their children about Pakistan’s creation. “You have to tell Pakistan's story to your children so that they don’t forget that our forefathers thought we were different from Hindus in every possible aspect of life,” Munir said, referring to the ideology put forward by Pakistan's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
