The Indian Airlines IC 814 hijacking marked a dark and regrettable period in India's history, resulting in the decision to release three significant terrorists — Masood Azhar, Omar Sheikh, and Mushtaq Zargar — to resolve the hostage situation. Farooq Abdullah, the then Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, strongly opposed this release due to past experiences that had shown him how releasing hostages in exchange for terrorists could encourage further militant activity.

Abdullah's apprehension stemmed from a prior incident in 1989 when he was compelled to negotiate the freedom of five JKLF militants for Rubaiya Saeed, the daughter of the then Union Home Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. The refusal of the central government led by VP Singh to take any risks, despite Abdullah's assurances that the militants would not harm Saeed, highlighted the difficult position Abdullah was in during those negotiations.

The release of terrorists during both incidents has been deemed a crucial turning point, with many analysts attributing future violent events, including the IC 814 hijacking, to this controversial decision. Abdullah has expressed ongoing resentment about having to acquiesce to the demands of the central government and regretted the implications of his actions, stating in 2015 that he would not have conceded even under duress if it were his daughter at risk.