PM should leverage his ties with world leaders to de-escalate war in West Asia: Omar
Jammu: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said India can play a meaningful role in de-escalation in West Asia, given Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s strong relations with the warring countries and their neighbours.
He said Pakistan was leveraging ties with Iran and the United States, and that any effort towards ending the war should be welcomed.
“As I said in the House (Assembly), we would like the war to end as soon as possible. The role that the prime minister can play may not be possible for anyone else because of his good relations with all these countries,” Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
He, however, said any escalation would not be easy to manage.
“Any such move by US President Donald Trump, despite the long history of Iran resisting external domination, would not be easy,” the chief minister said.
Asked about Pakistan mediating in the war, he said, “I will simply say that if any country can play a role in preventing this war, no one should have any objection to it.”
He added, “I will repeat what I said … our prime minister has good and close relations with all countries — whether it is Israel, the United States, Iran, or the countries around Iran. If those relationships can be used to make some progress and help ease the situation, it would be a good thing.”
Abdullah said attacks by terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in India, as suggested by a report from the United States, are not unlikely.
Meanwhile, he asserted that any efforts to end the war, be it from Pakistan, must not be resisted.
“Pakistan is using its good relations with Iran and the United States to its advantage, and it has done so. How can we object to that? If that angle helps in stopping the war, would you want them not to act and let the war continue? We want the war to stop. If any country can play a role in that, it should. And if we can play an even better role, then we should do so,” he said.
On unemployment in J-K, the chief minister said the issue cannot be resolved overnight, and government jobs alone are not the solution.
He stressed the need to explore alternative avenues, highlighting the importance of Mission Yuva in promoting entrepreneurship.
“Mission Yuva provides not just funding but also support in preparing DPRs and post-startup assistance, such as marketing. In just nine months, distributing Rs 1,000 crore and approving numerous schemes is a significant achievement,” he said.
Abdullah credited the coordination between the government and Jammu and Kashmir Bank for the scheme’s progress.
He said that he would want the opposition to win next month’s Assembly elections in four states and one Union territory, but added that the final decision rests with the people.
Assembly elections will be held in West Bengal (April 23 and April 29), Tamil Nadu (April 23), Assam (April 9), Kerala (April 9) and the UT of Puducherry (April 9). All results will be announced on May 4.
Abdullah said alliances are a common feature across the states and that the outcome of the elections will be clear on the counting day.
“Our BJP colleagues from Jammu and Kashmir are travelling to other states for campaigning, while we are sitting here. What should happen and what will happen – we will see,” the chief minister said when asked about the likely outcome of next month’s polls.
Stressing alliance politics, Abdullah said in Assam, the BJP is aligned with the Asom Gana Parishad, while in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, alliances between BJP-AIADMK, DMK-Congress and Left groups shape the electoral landscape.
“We would want the opposition to win all five elections, including Puducherry, though the final decision rests wth the people,” the chief monster said.
