National Conference president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has strongly voiced his opposition to the Centre's proposed Waqf Bill, while also expressing deep anguish over the recent Pahalgam incident, which he warned could further inflame communal sentiments in the region.

“We oppose the Waqf Bill, there is no doubt about that. It is still an issue and we expect justice from the Supreme Court,” Abdullah told reporters in Srinagar, highlighting his party’s stance against the legislation that has triggered concern among several Muslim organizations.

Speaking emotionally about the recent Pahalgam incident, which involved acts of violence that have shaken the local population, Abdullah said, “The incident was very painful... hatred gets increased by this. Whose motive is to spread hatred, why they are doing it and what benefit they are getting from it?”

The senior leader further lamented the long-standing burden placed on the people of Kashmir, saying, “We are the ones who get caught in between... We have been seeing this for the last 30-35 years... The people of Kashmir are suffering the most because of this.”