VIDEO: NC MLA's 'Pakistan has better facilities' remarks trigger ruckus in J&K Assembly, BJP MLAs seek apology

Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on Tuesday witnessed ruckus when National Conference MLA from Trehgam Mir Saifullah said “Pakistan has better facilities along the border than India” following which BJP MLAs raised objection and sought apology from the member in the House.

He also appealed to the Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather to expunge the statement of Mir Saifullah.Saifullah was speaking during the question hour when the government replied to him that the Keran sector is connected with the rest of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir via Pharkiyan Gali to the Keran road maintained by BRO.

“The road remained partially closed during the winter season due to snow accumulation and regular snow clearance is being done by BRO for providing connectivity to the Keran sector,” the government replied.

Unsatisfied with the reply, the NC MLA said that the infrastructure and development across the fence in Pakistan is better than in India.

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VIDEO | National Conference MLA Saifullah Mir on Tuesday triggered controversy by inferring that conditions in Pakistan were better than what exists in Trehgam, his constituency.

Speaking in the assembly on the conditions in his constituency Trehgam, Mir said "(Trehgam) is very… pic.twitter.com/TfGEswStLt

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) March 4, 2025 >

The BJP MLAs, however, reacted to the statement that triggered ruckus in the House.

The legislators from the opposition demanded that the statement be expunged from the records and the member must apologise for it.

Saifullah, who comes from Trehgam, had raised the question that the remote areas of his assembly constituency, Keran and Jumgund, remain cut off for months during winter but in comparison to that, facilities across the border are far better.

“During winters, the roads in neighboring Pakistan are much better than what we have in our area,” he said.

BJP MLA Ranbir Singh Pathania created a ruckus in the House over Saifullah Mir's remarks and said that there is no comparison between Pakistan and India and it is wrong to compare them on the floor of the House.BJP Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma also slammed the NC leader for his comparison.

Later, speaking to media persons, Saifullah said, “I did not compare India and Pakistan and both cannot be compared. India is far ahead of Pakistan. My words have been misinterpreted.”

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah after verbal exchange between the MLAs spoke in the Assembly and said that the development seen in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) is primarily driven by China and the Pakistan government has played no significant role in its progress.

“India has not sought assistance from any foreign country for infrastructure development in border regions,” he said, adding, “PoK made people wear coats to create the facade of development but in reality, the pockets of those coats are empty.”

“We have to accept that there have been deliberate attempts to showcase progress on the frontier line and so-called development was facilitated by China, not Pakistan,” said Abdullah.