Reasi, July 24 -- Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) Chairman Ghulam Nabi Azad on Thursday said that the restoration of statehood is crucial for the development and progress of Jammu and Kashmir.

According to KNS, Azad said that statehood is not the concern of any particular religion, region, or political group. "Statehood is not a matter of Hindu, Muslim, Kashmiri, or non-Kashmiri-it belongs to every party, every religion, every region. For real development, it is essential," he said during his visit to Reasi.

He also recalled how people in Reasi remembered his decision to grant it district status during his tenure as Chief Minister, saying such gestures are not forgotten by the publ...