Srinagar: Former chief minister and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday lashed out at Pakistan for perpetrating terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, saying Islamabad will have to stop terror incidents here if it wants to have friendly relations with India.
Abdullah said there can be no talks between New Delhi and Islamabad till the neighbouring country stops killings in Jammu and Kashmir.
“I do not know what action India should take, that is the domain of the central government. It is a problem for us and we have been going through it for years now. I have been seeing it for 30 years now. I have told them many times to stop it but their thinking is like that only.
“How can there be talks? You kill our innocent people and then you call for talks. First stop the killings,” Abdullah said while commenting on the terror attack at a construction site in Ganderbal district on Sunday.
The former chief minister said the attack was a painful incident as it led to killing of poor people who had come here for earning a livelihood.
“It is a very painful incident. Poor labourers who come here for a livelihood so that they can feed their families back home. These beasts martyred them. There was one of our doctors with them who serve the people. He also lost his life,” Abdullah said.
Seven persons– one local doctor and six non-local labourers — were killed while five others sustained injuries in the attack.
Abdullah said if the terrorists think they can establish Pakistani writ in Jammu and Kashmir by indulging in such acts, they are mistaken.
“What will these beasts get? Do they think that they will establish Pakistan here? We have been seeing it for many years that they (terrorists) are coming from there. We are trying to settle this problem so that we can come out of our difficulties. I want to tell the rulers of Pakistan that if they really want friendship with India, they should stop this. Kashmir will not become (part of) Pakistan,” the NC president said.
He said Pakistan should allow people of Kashmir to live in peace and dignity and focus on their own country’s development.
“Please let us live with dignity, allow us to develop. For how long will you put us in miseries? You started in 1947 by sending the tribal raiders and killing the innocents. Were you able to make it to Pakistan here? If you did not succeed in 75 years, how will you succeed now?
“For Allah’s sake look after your own country and focus on development and leave us at the mercy of our God. We want to remove poverty and unemployment here. It cannot be achieved through terrorism,” he said.
Abdullah said the impact of the attack will be felt by all people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“How will we progress if this (bloodshed) continues? The time has come that they should stop it or later the consequences will be hard,” he added.
