Farooq Abdullah says ‘Centre should talk to Hurriyat leaders for lasting peace in Kashmir’
Farooq Abdullah.
National Conference president and former Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah, on Friday, said for lasting peace in Kashmir, the Centre should talk with the leaders of pro-separatist All Parties Hurriyat Conference. Abdullah said this while speaking at an event – “J&K – The Road Ahead” – in Kolkata, which was organized by Centre for Peace and Progress.
Referring to Army chief General Bipin Rawat’s comment made a day earlier at “Raisina Dialogue” in New Delhi, on Thursday, on engaging with the Taliban without any conditions, Abdullah said if the Army could suggest it, then the Centre should also talk with the Hurriyat leaders to solve the Kashmir issue.
The former J&K chief minister said, “The Hurriyat leaders have Indian passports and earlier, leaders like former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee have interacted with them. The use of force and force can never a solution to the Kashmir crisis … permanent peace can only be achieved through negotiation.”
He added, “There is mistrust between Delhi and Kashmir and an atmosphere of hate has been created in the country.”
Abdullah also showed some optimism for the Kashmir youth. He said, “One positive thing that has surfaced from Kashmir in the past few years is that youths from the region have joined the Army and taken up government jobs in large numbers.”
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