‘India needs to find ways to talk to Pakistan’
Srinagar: National Conference President Farooq Abdullah has been maintaining that he has no expectations from the Government of India’s interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma. However on Wednesday Abdullah said that he hopes Sharma ‘understands’ the Kashmir problem and tells New Delhi that a solution has to be found.
Abdullah, while talking to reporters at the NC headquarters also said that India and Pakistan need to sit down and find a solution to the problem which is acceptable to India, Pakistan and the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
He added that India needs to find ways to talk to Pakistan.
“We hope that he (Sharma) listens to the people and those who meet him talk about real issues. He will understand that a way has to be found out and also he conveys to Delhi to find a solution (to the issue),” Abdullah said.
On November 5, addressing a party gathering in Tangdhar in Kupwara district, Abdullah had said that he does not have any expectations from Sharma and the only way forward in Kashmir is restoration of autonomy to the state.
“I have very little expectations from this new interlocutor. Like it has been done before, he will come and meet people. In 2010, then UPA government appointed a group of interlocutors who visited the state and had detailed discussions with every section here. The process took more than two months and after they were done with meeting people, a report was compiled. What happened to that report? Did the government discuss that report in any forum including the Parliament?,” the former CM said.
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Abdullah reiterated that four wars could not change the situation of Kashmir so India and Pakistan will have to sit and find a solution to the Kashmir issue.
“Time has come for Government of India to find ways and means of talking to Pakistan and find a way forward, and find a solution which is acceptable to the people of Pakistan, India and people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh,” he said in reply to a question.
He said that his statements are based on reality and are not irrational.
“For 70 years, PoK has been part of Pakistan, this has been part of India, four wars have been fought and in these four nothing has happened. They hold that territory and we hold this territory,” he said.
He said that wars do not end conflicts but aggravate tragedies of the people.
(With inputs from KNS)
