“Terrorism Will Keep Until…”: Farooq Abdullah On Kashmir

New Delhi:

Farooq Abdullah, former Chief Minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, right this moment mentioned terrorism will proceed in Jammu and Kashmir till India initiates dialogue with its “neighbour”. “I’m sorry to say, terrorism will keep until we speak to our neighbour and discover a answer,” Mr Abdullah mentioned with out naming Pakistan. His comment got here hours after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s “we now have learnt our lesson” remark.  

In an interview with Dubai-based Al Arabiya TV earlier right this moment, Mr Sharif had known as for “critical and honest talks” with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on “burning factors like Kashmir”.

“We now have had three wars with India, and so they have solely introduced extra distress, poverty, and unemployment to the individuals… We now have learnt our lesson, and we need to stay in peace with India, supplied we’re in a position to resolve our real issues,” Shehbaz Sharif mentioned. “My message to the Indian management and Prime Minister Modi is that permit’s sit down on the desk and have critical and honest talks to resolve our burning factors like Kashmir,” he had added.

Mr Abdullah mentioned India must discover a answer to the problem and he had given the identical message of each nations being “united and of constructing bridges”, when former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee sought his opinion earlier than travelling to Pakistan in 1999.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “mentioned brazenly that conflict will not be an answer for something,” Mr Abdullah mentioned, remarking that Russia-Ukraine conflict was a living proof.

“India is a singular nation and it’s that as a result of all of us suppose collectively…we now have to return to Gandhi’s India… the division has to finish if the nation has to progress,” Mr Abdullah mentioned. “The nation won’t ever be robust until we’re one,” he added.

Mr Abdullah additionally expressed unhappiness at a number of the present developments within the nation. “Have a look at the establishments, Governors, take a look at the Lt Governor… how they’re enjoying with the Structure… I might by no means consider this,” he mentioned at a e book launch occasion.  

The e book, “A Life within the Shadows A Memoir”, has been written by former RAW chief AS Dulat, who retired from service in 2000. Mr Dulat additionally mentioned “terrorism (in J&Ok) is not going to go away until we have interaction with Pakistan”.  

He, nevertheless, added that he would “concede” that the extent of militancy has come down because of the “muscular coverage” adopted by the present dispensation.  Militancy is native whereas terrorism comes from throughout the border, Mr Dulat mentioned.

Requested concerning the relation between New Delhi and Kashmir, Mr Dulat mentioned the “disconnect with the individuals has all the time been there and there was a scarcity of belief”.