India, Pak Must Initiate ‘Result Oriented’ Dialogue: Farooq Abdullah

Srinagar: NC chief Farooq Abdullah Sunday said India and Pakistan should start a “result oriented” and “time bound” dialogue for the “greater good” of both the nations, especially the welfare of Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing a meet of party functionaries here, Abdullah said National Conference (NC) founder and his father Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah was of the opinion that greater Indo-Pak interaction would benefit the people of the state the most.

“Our party still deems Indo-Pak friendship essential to a peaceful sub-continent. I impress upon the sane voices in both the countries to push their respective governments to initiate a result oriented dialogue process for the greater good of the two nations,” he said.

“The bonhomie between the two nuclear powered nations is the key to peace in J-K,” the former chief minister of the state said.

The NC took upon itself to emancipate the people of the state from abject poverty and shackles of feudal strife under the dynamic leadership of Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, he said.

“The ideals of Sher-e-Kashmir (Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah) will continue to guide us for all times to come,” he said.

“Our party has been replete with scarifies that we relentlessly lent for our people. We will continue to shoulder the mission of working for all the sections of society irrespective of region or religion in our state,” he added.

Urging both India and Pakistan to respect the 2003 ceasefire agreement and make borders peaceful, Abdullah said the continuous skirmishes between the two nations have wrecked havoc on the lives of those living on either sides of the border.

“Yesterday only, (a) number of innocent people including children got killed in cross border shelling on both sides of LoC in Poonch area,” he said.

“People are being forced to relocate to safer areas resulting in large scale migration. Its time that both nations put an immediate end to such hostilities along LoC and IB areas,” he added.

The member of Parliament from Srinagar said peacebetween India and Pakistan will help the sub-continent achieve a multitude of development goals in all vital sectors.

While denouncing the option of war, the former Union minister said both soldiers and civilians suffer due to war.

“The consequences of war and conflict are beyond killings. I am hopeful that the state of affairs between both the countries is moving towards betterment with each passing day,” he said.

“Besides, it is incumbent upon world leaders to impress upon both India and Pakistan to stop hostilities and improve ties,” he added. (PTI)