Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR/JAMMU, Aug 21: Former Chief Minister and National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah today urged separatist leaders not to meet Pakistan NSA Sartaj Aziz during his visit to India for talks with his Indian counterpart so that the two countries can find a way of ending tensions along the border in Jammu and Kashmir.
“I request them (separatists) not to meet Aziz and let the National Security Adviser-level talks go ahead between the two countries… May be something comes out of these talks that will (deal with) cross-border shelling,” he said while responding to the Ministry of External Affairs’ ‘advice’ to Pakistan not to go ahead with Aziz’s engagement with the Kashmiri separatists during his visit to India for talks with NSA Ajit Doval on August 23.
Abdullah said that if the talks are called off by India, cross-border shelling would resume, “may be, with added intensity”. He also slammed “vested interests” in both India and Pakistan for being opposed to peace prevailing in J-K.
Later in Jammu, Abdullah wished success to the NSA level talks and hoped that it would help in diffusing border tension along the Line of Control and International Border and provide respite to people of the State.
“Dialogue is imperative. The two countries should keep on talking. Dialogue is the only way to sort out issues. I wish all the success to ensuing NSA level dialogue between India and Pakistan,” he said.
He also hoped that good sense would prevail upon Hurriyat leaders to not vitiate the atmosphere and allow talks to go on amicably in the larger interest of the people of the state. “Peace and normalcy in the region will remain a distant dream as long as the two neighbours don’t sort out issues in a conducive and friendly atmosphere,” he said.
Expressing his grief on plights of border dwellers due to unprovoked firing from other side, the NC president accused the State Government of being sadistic towards the victims. “Their miseries got added up due to callousness of the State Government, which left them in lurch as nobody turned up to help them during the times of need,” he said while referring to alleged lack of medicare and ambulances for evacuating the injured of Balakote shelling to nearby hospital.
The NC president said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have always remained at the receiving end whenever borders turned hot. “I was pained to see the plight of border dwellers during my visit to forward areas in the Poonch district and I wish guns to get silenced so that farmers can pursue their avocation; children go to schools and normal life to get reactivated,” he said and added that NC workers have been geared up in the border areas to remain at service of the suffering people.
The NC president, accompanied by provincial president Devender Singh Rana, also visited the historic Raghunath Bazar and interacted with the people. It was a pleasing sight for the onlookers to see Farooq Abdullah being surrounded by the jostling crowds with youngsters pushing one another aside to have pictures with him. The charismatic former Chief Minister let the feel of being one of them and enjoyed his moments with the people.
Dr Abdullah, who was in his usual best, waved at the people; mostly Vaishno Devi bound pilgrims, who had assembled on the pavements, exchanged pleasantries and wished the pilgrims a blissful journey. He had brief interactions with the members of trade and commerce, who greeted him in the market.
Pertinent to mention here that whenever in Jammu, Dr Abdullah makes it a point to visit the heritage market and interact with the people.
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