The army’s Northern Command chief, Lt Gen. Pratik Sharma, has called on Omar Abdullah to brief him about the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir in what is being viewed as the end of the chief minister’s prolonged political sidelining.
Omar on Wednesday posted pictures of him welcoming Lt Gen. Sharma and Srinagar-based 15 Corps chief, Lt Gen. Prashant Srivastava, to his Srinagar residence.
“Yesterday, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command, Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, called on me and briefed about the prevailing security situation and recent developments along the LoC and other border areas,” Omar posted on X.
Omar praised the security forces for “doing a commendable job in protecting the nation”.
The development marks a significant departure and suggests the Pahalgam tragedy and the subsequent India-Pakistan hostilities have brought the chief minister into prominence.
The army officers separately met lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday. The army did not issue any statement on the meetings.
Omar has been repeatedly sidelined from security-related meetings after he took over as chief minister last year, which at times triggered a backlash from his party.
In February, Omar’s political adviser Nasir Wani hit out at LG Sinha for not inviting the chief minister to a security-related meeting.
Wani said his government acknowledged that the LG was responsible for overseeing law and order, but Omar should have been invited in principle to the meeting “due to his
vast experience in handling security matters in Jammu and Kashmir”.
That did not help as the LG’s administration and the central government continued to snub the elected government.
Omar was kept out of a high-level meeting in Srinagar on April 8 at which Union home minister Amit Shah reviewed the preparedness
of security forces in Jammu and Kashmir.
The chief minister has earned praise from the country’s Right-wing ecosystem after he unequivocally condemned the Pahalgam attack, pledged not to use the tragedy to press the Centre for statehood and fiercely supported the central government in all its actions against Pakistan.
It is unclear whether an army officer briefing the elected head of Jammu and Kashmir will be a one-time event or a policy decision where he will find a permanent place at a decision-making table.
Omar on Wednesday continued his criticism of Pakistan as he visited Uri to take stock of the destruction caused by shelling and firing.
He said Pakistan had mercilessly shelled civilian areas and it seemed as if there was a deliberate attempt to cause maximum damage to common people. He said he would take up with the Centre the demand of all border residents to construct individual bunkers for them to escape Pakistani shelling.