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Journalism of Courage
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said the role of Pakistan cannot be ignored in the resolution of the Kashmir dispute,defending Dileep Padgaonkar,head of the three-member interlocutors team appointed by the Centre,who has come under attack from the BJP for his remarks about the role of Pakistan in the Kashmir dispute.
Soon after laying the foundation stone of Rs 24 crore Udyog Bhawan at Bemina,Omar told reporters that there was nothing wrong about the interlocutors remark. A resolution was passed in Parliament that called for Pakistani troops to leave Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK). Rightly or wrongly,is it not making Pakistan a party. Our neighboring country has a role in Jammu and Kashmir and nobody can deny or ignore it, he said.
He lashed at the BJP for trying to draw political mileage out from the developments in the valley.
Of late the BJP is trying to portray things that are out of context with an aim to draw political mileage. Former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee even traveled to Lahore and mentioned about resolving Kashmir there, he said.
The Chief Ministers comments came even as the state unit of the BJP released a statement on Padgaonkars remarks. State BJP spokesperson Nirmal Kamal said Padgaonkars statement creates doubts about whether the interlocutors are really carrying forward the stated agenda or they are on some other mission. It also raises questions on what exactly is the brief to these interlocutors by the PMO,she said.
To a question,Omar said there is no categorical threat of militants in Srinagar ahead of US President Barack Obamas visit to India. We are ready to deal with any type of situation in the state, he said.
Hurriyat hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani,meanwhile,called for a shutdown in the valley during Obamas visit and asked netizens to send messages to the US President to draw attention towards the Kashmir issue.
To attract the attention of international community and Obama towards Kashmir,complete civil curfew should be observed on these four days (November 5 to 8), Geelani said,issuing the fortnightly protest calendar.
Geelani reiterated his boycott call of the team of interlocutors appointed by the Centre,terming it a drama to mislead Obama.
A drama is being enacted. We cant call it anything but drama, he said,referring to the Kashmir visit of the interlocutors.
In fact,this (visit of interlocutors) is an attempt to mislead Obama and to tell him that we are engaging the people of Kashmir. We should not fall into this trap, he added.
