“They are rebels on rent,” says Ansari after Abdullah’s Pak comment

Senior Jammu and Kashmir peoples conference leader Imran Reza Ansari on Saturday described National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and a select group of politicians as “rebels on rent” after Abdullah thanked Pakistan for raising the Kashmir issue at international forums, warning ordinary Kashmiris against making similar remarks.

Ansari made the remarks in a post on X while quote-tweeting a news report about Abdullah’s comments.

“Just a humble and brotherly request to my fellow Kashmiris. Please do not emulate Farooq Sahib. He and some select band are free to say anything,” Ansari wrote.

“They are rebels on rent. Their so-called rebellion is a rented rebellion. This space is allowed only for select few. Whatever they say is allowed,” he added.

Ansari alleged that while certain political leaders could make such statements, ordinary Kashmiris risked facing legal action for expressing similar views.

“If a common Kashmiri speaks in a similar tone, the government will in seconds put that person in detention under PSA OR UAPA. Please save your children and your families. Don’t emulate this person,” he said.

The Public Safety Act (PSA) allows for preventive detention, while the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) is an anti-terror law.

Abdullah’s remarks thanking Pakistan for raising the Kashmir issue internationally have drawn criticism from political opponents, with Ansari questioning what he described as the unequal treatment of political leaders and ordinary Kashmiris.