Farooq Abdullah Denies Deliberate Sabotage of J&K’s Fruit Industry

By A Staff Reporter

SRINAGAR: National Conference (NC) president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday dismissed concerns of any deliberate attempt to undermine the Union Territory’s fruit industry, a key pillar of its economy.

Addressing reporters, Abdullah said the frequent closure of the Srinagar–Jammu national highway should not be seen as a conspiracy. “The closure of the highway is because of God’s wrath and not people’s doing,” he remarked, stressing that natural factors such as landslides and weather disruptions were to blame.

The fruit industry, particularly apple cultivation, is one of Jammu and Kashmir’s largest economic sectors, providing livelihood to lakhs of people. Repeated disruptions on the highway, the main artery for transporting goods in and out of the Valley, have triggered concerns among growers and traders about potential losses and logistical hurdles.