Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday clarified that the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam has not derailed discussions around the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking to reporters in north Kashmir, 52 kilometres from Srinagar, Abdullah reiterated his commitment to the cause, stating that the issue remains a priority in formal government engagements.

"No, not at all. If you were to take out the formal speech that circulated in the NITI Aayog meeting, you will find a categorical mention for return of statehood in that ... which was given to the Honourable Prime Minister and all the members of the governing council of the NITI Aayog," Abdullah said, referring to his recent participation in the NITI Aayog governing council meeting.

Responding to a question about whether the terror attack had impacted the statehood discourse, Abdullah said the dialogue continues actively. "So, the conversation around statehood has not stalled. The only thing I was unwilling to do was to use the special session of the (Jammu and Kashmir) Assembly to talk about statehood. But that does not mean the conversation has stopped. The conversation is ongoing," he added.