Dialogue with Separatists must for peace; Reiterates Farooq Abdullah

‘PDP-BJP have also incorporated this in Agenda of Alliance’

Amid controversy over his statement exhibiting unity with Hurriyat leaders, National Conference (NC) patron Dr Farooq Abdullah today questioned why people were blaming him alone when PDP-BJP government has included dialogue with separatists in their Agenda of Alliance.
Addressing media men in Jammu, Farooq said, “PDP-BJP have put in their Agenda of Alliance to talk to everyone, they have put a condition to talk to Hurriyat leaders also for a lasting solution to Kashmir issue. So are they (PDP-BJP) anti-national. What are they fighting for?”

“Why only Farooq Abdullah is blamed?” he said.
The NC patron said that everyone needs to be talked to, be it Jammu and Kashmir, India or with Pakistan, for solution to Kashmir issue.
“Here (India) government has to talk to people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh while on the other side (Pakistan) they have to talk to people of Muzzafarabad, Baltistan, Skardu and Gilgit”, Farooq said.

He said without involvement of a third party, both India and Pakistan need to talk on Kashmir issue “unconditionally” the way Indira Gandhi and Zulfikar Ali Bhutto did in Simla.
On separatists not ready to talk “under the ambit of Indian Constitution” and Farooq supporting them, he said, “How will you talk to Pakistan—telling them the Indian Constitution or Pakistani Constitution? Were Simla, Lahore and Tashkent agreements signed on the basis of Constitution of any country? No. So you need to talk “unconditionally” for a permanent solution of Jammu and Kashmir.”
Replying a media query about a case filed against him, Abdullah said, “There are many mad people in India” who are filing cases. “I am not worried about that.”
On whether he would apologies for supporting Hurriyat leaders, he said, “Why? What is wrong about that? Don’t you want settlement of the issue or is it that you want bombing on the borders or you want innocent people to die?”
“Aren’t you seeing how people from Kathua, right down to Poonch and right to Uri and Gurez are dying on this side and people are dying on the other side also. Who is dying? Are people in Delhi or Bombay dying? Are people in Lahore or Karachi dying? Answer is whether here (India) or there (Pakistan), only common people of Jammu and Kashmir are dying.”
On why he is making separatists more relevant by extending support to them, he said, “Why are you talking to Farooq and not PDP-BJP government who have it in their AoA to talk to separatists.”
Replying to another query about Mehbooba Mufti bashing National Conference about their alleged role in Kashmir turmoil, he said, “I am not afraid of what Mehbooba Mufti has said. Let me tell you that neither Farooq nor any NC worker has ever hurled stones or threw bombs. Has she forgotten that highest number of NC workers and leaders have been killed in Kashmir so far.”
On separatists promoting tourism, Dr Farooq said, “I don’t know about them but any J&K citizen welcoming tourists is good because our livelihood depends on tourism.”