Farooq Abdullah: Hope PM Modi will try to build bridges between India, Pak

The NC chief's comment came on a day when an interview was broadcast in which Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called for "serious and sincere talks" with Narendra Modi on "burning issues like Kashmir".

Abdullah stressed that the “problem of Kashmir will not die, terrorism will stay unless we talk to our neighbour and find a true solution”.

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Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday advocated the need for a dialogue between India and Pakistan, saying that he hopes that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will try to build bridges between the two countries at a time when New Delhi is chairing the G20 multilateral forum.

Abdullah’s remarks, made at the launch of former R&AW chief A S Dulat’s latest book “A Life in the Shadows”, came on a day Dubai-based Al Arabiya broadcast an interview with Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif where he called for “serious and sincere talks” with Prime Minister Modi on “burning issues like Kashmir”.

Also Read | Abdullah stressed that the “problem of Kashmir will not die, terrorism will stay unless we talk to our neighbour and find a true solution”.

Abdullah stressed that the “problem of Kashmir will not die, terrorism will stay unless we talk to our neighbour and find a true solution”. The National Conference chief said former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was on the same page with him on this issue.

“The PM of today openly says that war is not a solution for anything…. Look at Ukraine, the destruction of Ukraine. Let us not think in the lines of destruction. Today when we are part of G20, and heading it, I hope the Prime Minister will try to build bridges between the two countries, that is the only way forward,” Abdullah said.

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The veteran leader also accused the Centre of “playing with the Constitution” in the Valley. In the event of the National Conference coming to power after elections are held in Jammu and Kashmir, “we have a tough task”, he said.

“Look at the institutions, look at the Governors, look at the Lt Governor, how they play with the Constitution. I hope this government will try to change its course and try to win people rather than votes,” said Abdullah, who was in detention for more than seven months under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) after the Centre revoked Article 370 in August 2020.

Dulat, who recently joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra drawing criticism from the BJP, endorsed Abdullah’s view, while drawing a distinction between militancy and terrorism. He said that while the level of militancy has come down, “terrrorism will not go away unless we talk to Pakistan. Terrorism is what comes from across (the border)”.

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In his brief speech, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath, who was also present on the occasion, said that rather than politics the Bharat Jodo Yatra was about “arousing the sentiment and emotion of harmony” in the country.

“It is not as political people, but as members of society you have to choose the India you want. And I am sure with these sentiments he (Dulat) joined the yatra. So he is back being one of us, one of you,” Nath said.