Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday backed renewed calls for dialogue between India and Pakistan, saying there should be no objection to efforts aimed at improving relations between the two
neighbouring countries despite decades of strained ties.
Speaking to reporters in Shopian, Abdullah said India-Pakistan relations have remained tense for the past three to four decades and deteriorated further after the Pahalgam terror attack last year, in which 26 people were killed. Even so, he maintained that dialogue should not be discouraged if the objective is to restore peace and improve bilateral ties.
“The tension between India and Pakistan has continued for the past 30 to 40 years. It became even more serious after what happened in Pahalgam last year. If an appeal is being made to the Prime Ministers of both countries to find a way to improve relations, there should be no objection to it,” Abdullah said.
Questioning the criticism directed at political leaders from Jammu and Kashmir for supporting talks with Pakistan, the Chief Minister noted that leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) had also, on different occasions, spoken in favour of dialogue and better relations between the two countries.
Abdullah also invoked former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s famous remark, “You can change your friends but not your neighbours,” saying the statement remained relevant and underscored the need for India and Pakistan to work towards improving ties.
His remarks came after more than 100 eminent citizens from India and Pakistan issued an open letter urging the Prime Ministers of both countries to take meaningful and sustained steps towards restoring peace, normalcy, dialogue and cooperation. The signatories include Jammu and Kashmir National Conference president Farooq Abdullah and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti.
Mehbooba Mufti also supported the initiative, saying renewed dialogue should pave the way for greater people-to-people contact, stronger mutual engagement and a wider exchange of ideas between India and Pakistan.
She said the appeal reflected the vision once articulated by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and described the growing support for such efforts as encouraging. Mufti added that letters had been sent to the Prime Ministers of both countries urging them to initiate talks.
The proposal, however, drew sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Leader of Opposition in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly and BJP MLA Sunil Sharma said the timing of the appeal was inappropriate, arguing that discussions on engagement with Pakistan were not suitable when terrorism was on the decline.
He also asserted that any decision on initiating dialogue with Pakistan rests solely with the Central government.
