Former J&K Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the fresh veiled diplomatic outreach between India and Pakistan was “an acknowledgement of our stand”.
“We are subjected to canards, called as anti-national and timid when we call for having a dialogue with the neighbouring country to solve all the impending issues. The fresh veiled diplomatic outreach between India and Pakistan, and the successive DGMO (Director General of Military Operations) level accord on the implementation of ceasefire on the borders between India and Pakistan is an acknowledgement of our stand,” Mr. Abdullah said, as he toured south Kashmir’s Kulgam.
Mr. Abdullah said his party doesn’t resort to rabble rousing as “pragmatism has long been the template of our party policy”.
“Our repeated calls for dialogue both internal and external are borne out of our commitment to non-violence and predilection for peace. I hope the DGMO-level talks act as a step towards greater engagement,” he said.
Mr. Abdullah also asked New Delhi to fulfil its commitments towards the people of J&K. “The founding fathers of the nation have listed all the solemn commitments made to the people of J&K in the Constitution itself,” he said.
The District Development Council elections, he said, were used as diplomatic tools by New Delhi.
“These people were told that they are going to have a stake in development but when it came to empowering them, the Centre turned to the other side. It was in our times that the panchayat elections saw a huge turnout. But ironically this local level of government wasn’t spared as well from becoming a causality of politics.”
He alleged that the DDC elections saw how all established norms were thrown aside unashamedly undermining all norms. “The partisan behaviour of the administration, using coercion and intimidation to win over crossovers marked the entire breadth of elections and election to DDC chairman. The scenario pre and post elections revealed how political impropriety and opportunism was allowed to take roots here.”
During his Kulgam tour, Mr. Abdullah paid floral tributes to Wali Muhammad Itoo, who was killed by gunmen in the 1990s.
