NEW DELHI: Ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s meeting with his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sahrif, Union Minister Farooq Abdullah today said the two countries must go ahead with dialogue despite provocation at the border.
Asked whether it would be more mature of the two countries to talk than retaliate, the Minister for New and Renewable Energy said,”I agree with you. I fully agree with you. I think what is important that with all the might, we still are resorting to talks.”
In an interview to Karan Thapar on Devil’s Advocate telecast on CNN-IBN, Abdullah said, “India is showing that even after all the provocations on our border, we still want to find peaceful method.”
On the question of teaching a lesson to Pakistan, he said,”How do you teach them a lesson by sending in the Indian Army, by sending in the Indian Air Force, by sending in the navy– are you not going to rake up more trouble? They are also a nuclear power; do you want a nuclear bomb here as much as we might throw a nuclear bomb there?”
The former J&K Chief Minister said there is no way other than holding talks.
“Can you have a war? Is war going to solve any problem at all between India and Pakistan?” he said.
In a twin terror attack on Thursday, three heavily-armed militants dressed in army fatigues had stormed a police station and an army camp in Jammu region killing eight people including a Lieutenant Colonel, casting a shadow on the meeting Singh and his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif. (AGENCIES)
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