STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday urged students from Jammu and Kashmir studying in Iran to follow the Union government’s advisory and return home while commercial travel remains operational.
In its latest advisory, the Embassy of India asked its citizens to “leave Iran by available means of transport, including commercial flights.”
The advisory comes in the wake of Saturday’s protests in Iran following 40-day memorials for people killed in January during anti-government rallies.
“I would tell them that please do not ignore this advisory from the government of India, because it otherwise becomes an issue for us,” Abdullah told reporters in Ganderbal district in central Kashmir.
The chief minister said the situation in Iran is currently stable, with airports open and commercial flights operating.
“I appeal to all the students and those who work there, who do not ignore this advisory, book your tickets and leave Iran,” he said.
“The Ministry of External Affairs has not issued this advisory unnecessarily. If, God forbid, the situation worsens, then it will be an issue for us as to how to evacuate them. So, I appeal to them to take the advisory seriously and leave from there,” he added.
To a question on the alleged harassment and eviction threats faced by Kashmiri students studying at CT University in Punjab, the chief minister said he would raise the issue with his counterpart in Punjab.
“I will talk to the Punjab chief minister on this. It must be the University’s doing, because the government of Punjab has always supported Jammu and Kashmir. I can say with certainty that the Punjab government will not allow this, and the University will be asked about it,” he said, adding, if any Kashmiri student is facing such difficulties, it will be addressed.
Meanwhile, ruling National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah also asked students from Jammu and Kashmir studying in Iran to leave that country immediately, as it would be difficult to evacuate them after the airspace closure.
Abdullah said the students should pack their bags and leave Iran before their parents panic.
“I want to tell the students of Jammu and Kashmir to leave immediately. Otherwise, when the airspace is closed tomorrow, their parents may panic. They should leave before it comes to that. Otherwise, there will be no one to evacuate them. When the advisory has been issued, they should pack their bags and return home,” Abdullah said.
The NC president was speaking to reporters after paying tributes to the party’s former general secretary, Sheikh Nazir Ahmad, on his eleventh death anniversary at Soura on the outskirts of the city.
Abdullah also wished success to the J-K cricket team, which is playing Karnataka in the Ranji Trophy on Tuesday in its first-ever Ranji finals.
“May God give them success. That is the most important thing. We congratulate them for reaching this far, and hope that they will win the finals,” he said.
Asked about the movie Kerala Story 2, Abdullah said, “Let me tell you that we cannot trust our media. It is based on lies and is suppressed by the government. So, talking in front of it holds no significance. First, the media should strengthen its integrity. Until they strengthen their integrity, people will not trust them.”
The NC chief said Ahmad sacrificed a lot for the party.
“He was a pillar of strength of the NC. He strengthened the party as its general secretary, the success of which you are seeing today. God willing, I am hopeful that this party will continue to run as its founders envisioned,” he said.