NEW DELHI: Azad Jammu and Kashmir is part of Pakistan and both parts of Kashmir — in India and Pakistan — should be granted autonomy, former chief minister of the Indian-occupied state Farooq Abdullah said on Saturday.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function at his National Conference party headquarters in Srinagar, he said: “I want to tell people of India and the entire world that the part of Kashmir that is with Pakistan is part of Pakistan, and the part which is with India belongs to India. It is not going to change even if wars are fought… That part will remain with Pakistan and this part will remain with India, and both Kashmirs should be granted autonomy.’’

The former chief minister also said that Kashmir cannot survive as an independent state. “We are landlocked. We have China on one side, Pakistan on the other side and India on the third side. All three have atom bombs,” he said.

The Indian Express quoted him as saying that while the state decided to join India “out of love”, the country “betrayed” the people of Kashmir and did not treat them well.

Published in Dawn, November 11th, 2015