Jammu: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday said that Kashmiri Pandits who have left their homes are always welcome to return to their homes. Abdullah, however, expressed doubts whether the migrant community would want to return as they have started a new life in other parts of the country where they currently live and their children are educated and employed.
The former chief minister's statement comes at a time when Kashmiri Pandits are observing January 19 as 'Holocaust Day' to remember their flight from the Valley in 1990 due to threats and killings by Pakistan-sponsored militants.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the party's two-day programme, Abdullah said that many Kashmiri Pandit families have never left the Valley and are living peacefully in their villages and areas. Asked about the protests by Kashmiri Pandits in support of their demand for return and rehabilitation in the Valley, the former chief minister said, "When will they (Kashmir) return? Who is stopping them? No one is stopping them. They should return, because this is their home. Many Kashmiri Pandits are currently living in the Valley and have not left their villages."