Indo-Pak bonhomie indispensable for fight against militancy: Farooq Abdullah
Calls for talks with all stakeholders
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference President and Member of Parliament Dr Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday urged government of India to hold talks with all the stakeholders in the state.
In a statement, Farooq said that opening of channels of dialogue between the centre and the state will led to successful outcomes.
Referring to governor’s recent statement that Hurriyat was ready for talks, Farooq said, “I believe BJP should use its massive mandate to solve the protracted issue of Jammu and Kashmir. There is no other alternative to dialogue. It is the institution of dialogue that will commit both to listen, reflect and question in order to reach a greater understanding”.
He said it was an apt time for the centre to open all channels of dialogue with the Hurriyat.
“We have been hearing the catch-words of Kashmiriyat, Jamhooriyat, and Insaniyat for long now, however nothing substantial was done to materialize them.”
He asked the BJP led central government to “tread the path as shown by Vajpayee without much delay”.
“The centre should move in that direction and hold talks with all stakeholders in the state on the principles advocated by him,” he said.
Farooq said the measure of opening dialogue with all the stakeholders “will certainly act as a catalyst for restoring peace in the ill-fated state of ours. It is high time for BJP to turn its massive mandate into an aggressive engagement with all the stakeholders.”
Farooq said that the central government should also address to the external dimensions of the issue and use the method of tact and diplomacy. The central government, he said, “should continue with the good work done by the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh”.
Farooq also asked Pakistan to “attend to the genuine grievances of the India”.
He said that the “much touted ‘Neighborhood first’ policy of the BJP led central government would not be able to give the India much anticipated diplomatic dividends if neighbours are left out on this front”.
India and Pakistan bonhomie is “indispensable for the fight against terrorism”, Farooq said.
“Now it is for the central government to consider if it wants to go down the lane of history as a government that wasn’t able to find solution to the longstanding problem plaguing the region.”
Farooq said the Prime minister should stop the “untaught and unintelligent rants emanating from his party” against the Art 370, Art 35- A.
“The matter of Art 35-A is sub-judice and it is therefore not appropriate for anybody to comment on it. On the other hand the honourable Supreme Court has recently opined in its April 3rd judgment that Art 370 has acquired a permanent status,” he said.
He said the provision of Art 370 was “not given to us by the then Prime Minister Nehru, but the constituent assembly of India”.
Meanwhile party president said the Kashmiris had always taken it upon themselves to support Amarnath Yatra.
“One fails to understand why locals are put to undue duress by coming up with reckless traffic gags and highways bans. I urge the government to do away with the highway ban. Such decision does not behoove a democratic country like that of ours.”
Expressing dismay over the “appalling condition of the sole train service in the valley”, he said, “The condition of the train is unclean and the compartments are presenting a filthy appearance. The party president even raised the issue in the parliament the other day. He sought immediate improvement of the facilities being given to the commuters on the train.”
KV News
