Jammu & Kashmir: Farooq Abdullah pitches for 'peace talks, handshakes' with Pakistan

National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on Thursday batted strongly for talks with Pakistan and said "unless you do not talk to Pakistan, we can never live in peace in J&K".

Jammu (Jammu-Kashmir): National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on Thursday batted strongly for talks with Pakistan and said "unless you do not talk to Pakistan, we can never live in peace in J&K".

He said that if there would have been friendship between India and Pakistan, people would have come here (in Jammu and Kashmir) to eat and drink tea from Sialkot (Pakistan).

"We would have gone there (Sialkot). In the past, this was happening. People used to come in trains before Independence," Abdullah added.

"I confidently say, even today, unless you (India) don't talk to Pakistan and shake hands of friendship with each other, we can never live in peace, never, take it from me in writing," he said while addressing a party meeting here.

READ:Kashmiris not involved in recent civilian killings: Farooq Abdullah

He said that wars have taken place between Indian and Pakistan. "Only the poor got killed in these four wars. In future wars, this will happen again. Both have nuclear bombs. It will be more disastrous," Abdullah added.

He said that if there is friendship with Pakistan, the money spent on planes and weapons will be given to farmers and the poor to remove their poverty. "See, we have reached 101 rank in the global hunger index. We have gone down to Somalia", Abdullah added.

PTI