JK News Today
Jammu, December 8
National Conference president and former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah took head on his critics who saw a design in his support to the Hurriyat Conference in seeking for the “ final settlement of Kashmir issue,” and declared that the issue is awaiting its final settlement.
Farooq Abdullah who had come under fire for his call to support Hurriyat Conference in their struggle for “ azadi” and had claimed that the current unrest in the Valley would not die down without the settlement of the Kashmir issue. He had also warned the governments at Delhi and Srinagar that “ repression would further inflame the fire burning within the restive youth of Kashmir.”
These comments made by him on a commemorative ceremony to mark the 111th birth anniversary of his father and founder of National Conference Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in Srinagar on Monday last had fluttered the political spectrum across Jammu and Kashmir. Some went on to describe those as anti-national and few others resorted to the traditional way of protest by burning his effigies.
Farooq who was chief minister three times told reporters here on Thursday that “ the K issue cannot be resolved within the parameters of the Indian constitution,” in a changed tune for he had been the advocate of greater autonomy for Jammu and Kashmir within the constitution of India.
“ Did Tashkent pact, Shimla Agreement and Lahore declaration fall within the parameters of the Indian constitution. We will have to talk to Pakistan as this is an inescapable fact f life ,” he said and also reminded the PDP- BJP government of their agenda of alliance in which talks with all stakeholders were mentioned quite prominently.
“ India will have to talk to all stake holders, which included all political parties, Hurriyat Conference in Kashmir, parties of Jammu and Ladakh and Pakistan would have to initiate dialogue with the peoples of Muzzaffarabad, Gilgit, Baltistan, Skardu and Hunza ( the areas under control of Pakistan).
He reiterated that there was no other way except dialogue to resolve K issue.
