Omar gave US team autonomy proposal

The former minister of state for external affairs said, ‘‘If things go well I will visit Pakistan in January-February next year to meet the leadership.’’ His father and NC patron, Farooq Abdullah, disclosed that the party had also submitted proposals on autonomy of the region to a US delegation led by Dan Burton in Delhi recently.

‘‘The US delegation told Omar that they would study the proposals and talk to Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf,’’ said Farooq. Both the Abdullahs said their party was strongly in favour of including all the three regions of the state as well as the displaced Kashmiri Pandits in the talks on the Kashmir issue. They also said that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) should clarify their propagating of ‘‘self-rule’’. ‘‘They should clarify what they want—self-governance, pre-1953 status or complete azadi,’’ said Omar.

As for autonomy for the state, Farooq wondered what had happened to the committee that was announced by Home Minister Shivraj Patil in January. ‘‘We had met Patil and he had announced the formation of a committee that would discuss the various aspects on autonomy,’’ he said.

He also demanded that the Indian government go public with what Pakistan has proposed about self-governance. ‘‘People of the country should know this,’’ said Farooq.