Right to self-determination not viable option in J-K, says Omar

President of National Conference Omar Abdullah has said the right to self-determination in Jammu and Kashmir is “not a viable option”. Speaking at a two-day convention organised by the Justice Foundation Kashmir Centre’ at the House of Commons,

Abdullah suggested the setting up of a “Truth and Reconciliation Commission for the entire state of Jammu and Kashmir in the manner of South Africa to arrive at the truth”. Expressing his disappointment over the fact that some of the top Indian leaders from the state were not invited to the conference, Abdullah said the main problem is the “pigeonhole mentality” of the people.”They all stay fixed in their views and never had a real exchange of views and opinions,” the Indian leader told the delegates at the conference on “Sixty Years of Kashmir Dispute: A Way forward”, which concluded on Thursday. Highlighting the impediments in the Indo-Pak dialogue, Abdullah said if a proposal like demilitarisation of the region is presented to Islamabad and New Delhi at the same time and effort is made to understand India’s strategic concerns about China and the two countries manage to get Beijing to agree to a demilitarised zone, only then will the proposal be feasible.