India-Pak dialogue is needed to weed out terrorism: Farooq Abdullah

Farooq Abdullah said that a dialogue between India and Pakistan should be initiated to do away with terrorism. He said that the recent encounter at Anantnag that left a colonel, major and deputy superintendent of police dead proves that militancy has not ended in Jammu and Kashmir. He further said that trained militants were entering the region from foreign countries.

Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Thursday urged India and Pakistan to initiate dialogue in an effort to weed out terrorism from the region.

Talking to reporters after offering condolences to the family of slain deputy superintendent of police Himayun Muzammil Bhat at Humhama in the outskirts of Srinagar, Abdullah took a jibe at the ruling government over claims of militancy being eradicated from the region.

"After this encounter where a Colonel, Major, and DSP died while several soldiers are battling for their lives in the hospital, do you think that militancy has ended? These incidents certainly occur. It would be foolish on our part to think that the militancy has ended. India and Pakistan should give up belligerence and return to the negotiating table," he said.

Abdullah also said that encounters are taking place every day though the government is saying that militancy has ended. "Militancy will not end unless a solution is found. Fighting cannot bring peace. Only dialogue can bring peace," he said.

Referring to the Russian invasion on Ukraine, he said that war had only resulted in miseries and plunder. "There too Russia and Ukraine must come to the table," he said. India and Pakistan have to talk, he said adding: "When India gained independence, this conflict was annexed to it".

Abdullah said Pakistan does not accept Government of India's decision of abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. "They (Pakistan) are hurling the UN resolutions on us. They don't accept what the Centre has done. What will you do now?" he asked.

He further said that trained militants are entering Kashmir from foreign countries. When asked whether he was referring to Afghanistan, he said that he does not want to point at any country. People can better understand from where these militants can be coming from, he said.

"There is danger. We will have to face this danger. Every day our jawans and officers are getting killed. Our people are also suffering. They are being quizzed (by the security agencies) to give them details about the movement of these militants," he said.