Jammu, Apr 7: Reminding Pakistan of Operation Sindoor, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said that it would be in Islamabad’s interest to focus on improving relations with India rather than engaging in rhetoric and escalating tensions.
He also welcomed the busting of a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror module by Srinagar Police, but stressed the need to strengthen surveillance and plug any remaining loopholes in the security framework.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function here, the chief minister cautioned against provocative rhetoric from across the border and said such statements ignore ground realities and serve no constructive purpose.
Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had on Saturday warned that his country would respond with a strike on Kolkata to any “future misadventures” by India.
“If India tries to stage any false flag operation this time, then God-willingly, we will take it to Kolkata,” Asif had said while speaking to reporters in Sialkot. Abdullah said it has not even been a full year post Operation Sindoor, “yet they are unnecessarily forcing us to remind them of the kind of situation that had developed earlier.
“Forget Kolkata — they could barely reach Jammu, and even in Jammu, they did not cause any significant damage. They could not even reach the country’s capital. I think they should forget about their dream of reaching Kolkata; it would be better for them,” Abdullah said.
He said it would be in their best interest to try to improve relations, as strained ties harm them more than India.
“Just consider this — our planes are still flying, and we have not told any international airline that we do not have fuel. Look at the situation in Pakistan; they are telling airlines that they are welcome to come, but must arrive with enough fuel, as they cannot provide it locally. That is their condition,” he said.
The chief minister said instead of issuing threats about Kolkata, it would be better if Pakistan’s leaders played a role in creating more favourable conditions. On the arrest of five LeT terrorists, including two Pakistani nationals, the chief minister said, “It is good that the module was busted, but at the same time, it raises an important question — where did they come from and why did they come?” “We are repeatedly told that terrorism has ended and that it no longer exists. However, such modules continue to be busted, and foreign terrorists are still being found. Therefore, somewhere we need to further strengthen our surveillance and make efforts to identify and fill any loopholes or gaps that remain,” the chief minister said. (Agencies)
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