Kashmir Can Never Become Part Of Pakistan By Innocent Killings: Farooq Abdullah On Ganderbal Attack

Farooq Abdullah condemned attacks on workers and a doctor in Ganderbal, asserting that such violence won't lead to Kasmir becoming part of Pakistan.

Srinagar: National Conference president and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Dr Farooq Abdullah today said that the attack on workers and a doctor in the Ganderbal district was very painful and by these attacks, Kashmir can never become part of Pakistan.

Farooq asked how can there be dialogue with Pakistan when it is killing innocents in Jammu and Kashmir. "This is a very painful incident; these poor workers had come here to earn a livelihood, but these beasts martyred these workers and a local doctor who was serving poor people. What will these beasts get from such attacks; do these beasts think that such attacks will make Kashmir Pakistan?" he told reporters in Srinagar.

He said that Pakistan has been doing attacks in Jammu and Kashmir for the last 75 years, yet it could not take Kashmir from India. "If Pakistan wants to have friendly relations with India then they should stop such attacks, Kashmir will never become (part of ) Pakistan. Please let us live and progress and dignity. You started (the attacks) in 1947 by sending tribals, yet Kashmir did not become Pakistan for the last 75 years. Thousands of innocents were killed, yet Kashmir did not become Pakistan," he said.

He said that the attack would not only impact tourism in the Kashmir valley but "all of us". "Time has come when Pakistan should stop these attacks. I don't know what India should do. The government of India will have to look at (that)," Farooq replied when asked what should be the response of the government of India.

Farooq said that India will not hold dialogue with Pakistan until it (Pakistan) stops killings of innocents. The statement of the NC chief reflects the same position taken by the government of India since the Pulwama attack on a CRPF convoy in February 2019.

The attack in Ganganagar on the campsite of the workers of the Z-Morh Tunnel took place four days after an elected government took over the president's rule in Jammu and Kashmir union territory. Today, the elected legislators of the Jammu and Kashmir UT were administered the oath of office by pro-tem speaker Mubarak Gul.