Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday expressed cautious optimism regarding restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, saying he hopes that the “good news” referred to by a Union Minister materializes soon.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre in Srinagar, Omar said he had heard Union Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal indicate that positive news may be forthcoming.

“I was listening to the Minister saying that soon we will hear good news. We have been listening to such statements for quite some time now. The process is going on, and we remain hopeful. We are in touch with the central government,” Omar said.

He added that the restoration process has taken longer than expected and said it should not have been delayed to this extent. “It should not have taken so long, but it has. Now that the Minister has spoken about good news, let us hope that statehood is restored to Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

Omar reiterated that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are awaiting clarity and expressed hope that the long-pending demand for restoration of statehood will be fulfilled in the near future