1. Home
2. Top Stories

Only justice by India, Pak will end Kashmir unrest: Farooq

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 12/5/2016 11:49:00 PM

SRINAGAR, Dec 5: Justifying the ongoing civilian unrest in Kashmir, National Conference (NC) president Dr Farooq Abdullah today said this unrest will end only when India and Pakistan do justice with people here.
He appealed his party workers not to be outside this movement but become part of it. Dr Abdullah appealed Hurriyat Conference leaders to remain united and not to consider NC its enemy.” We are not the enemy of Hurriyat Conference. Be united and we are with you (Hurriyat) as long you adopt a right path,” Dr Abdullah told the separatist leaders, spearheading the ongoing protest calender and civilian unrest. The NC president was speaking at a function on grave of his father Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on his 111th birth anniversary near Hazratbal shrine.
Addressing the party workers and supporters in Kashmiri, Dr Abdullah said, “There is unrest in Kashmir. This unrest will end only if India and Pakistan do justice with us. They have to do justice with people of Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh. The more they will try to crush this unrest, the more it will intensify.”
NC president said, “I am telling my NC workers do not remain outside this movement. We are part of this movement. We have been jailed for this movement for our rights. I still remember when in 1931 Dogra ruler’s forces fired upon people outside central jail, Sheikh (Mohammad Abdullah) sahib rushed there. A dying injured youth told Sheikh sahib that he gave his life for the movement and that it was for him (sheikh) to carry forward this movement.”
NC president stated that now this is “our duty to take this movement to logical conclusion. We do not have to sit silent, we do not have to flee.” We have to take our nation, our future generation out of this grim scenario. This will be taken out if we are united. I am also telling Hurriyat leaders do not show disunity and be united. We are standing with you for this nation. Do not consider us your enemies. We are not your enemies. But we are not ready to take wrong methods. We have struggled and wasted our lives in this struggle. I am telling you from this sacred place, move ahead we are with you long as your methods are rights and you rightly lead this nation,” he said.
However, later talking to reporters, Dr Abdullah said the issue was not whether he was with the Hurriyat or not.
"This agitation which talks about demanding the rights of the people of Kashmir, NC is with them on this issue to the extent of their talking about rights. We neither were nor are against (demanding) the rights," he said.
The former Union minister said the people talking of "freedom" were indulging in propaganda.
He also said the "fire" in the Valley would not be extinguished till India and Pakistan do justice with the people of the state.
"Remember this, till this fire is there, it cannot be extinguished till India and Pakistan do justice with us, with the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. The more they try to extinguish this fire, the more it will rise," he said.
He asked his party workers not to be away from "this struggle". "We are a part of this struggle. We have fought regularly for the interests of this Valley," he said.
Responding to his criticism by the BJP over his recent remarks over India's claim on PoK, Abdullah said he has never spoken anything against the country.
"Farooq Abdullah has never spoken anything anti-national. This (Kashmir) issue is not my creation. This issue is from 1948, it is not anything new. It is still in the UN Security Council. It is in the agreement between India and Pakistan which Indira Gandhi as Prime Minister of India and Zulfikar Bhutto as Prime Minister of Pakistan signed that Kashmir issue would be resolved through dialogue," he said.
He said both the countries would have to resolve their issues through dialogue.
"I do not know anything about whether they (Pakistan Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Advisor Sartaj Aziz and NSA Ajit Doval) talked or not. But one day both the countries will have to resolve their issues through dialogue. There is no other way," he said.
He said prime minister Narendra Modi wishes to solve this issue and "I hope one day he will talk to Pakistan as there is no other option".
"Both the countries should exhibit restraint. When border skirmishes happen, people on both sides suffer losses. Both are parts of Kashmir," he said.
Commenting on the prime minister's remarks at a Jalandhar rally that he was determined to stop the flow of water into Pakistan and bring it for farmers of Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said people of India were "befooled".
"People of India were befooled. What did Modi say in Jalandhar? He said he will stop Pakistan's water. Which rivers has he stopped water from?" he said.