Centre must hold talks with Pak, just like rival factions in Afghanistan: Farooq Abdullah

National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said that the BJP-led central government must open the channel of dialogues with Pakistan to resolve the Kashmir issue peacefully, just as how the rival factions in Afghanistan recently did in spite of the ongoing violence there.

"They [the central government] say that Pakistan must end terrorism (for the peace talks to begin). You must look at what is happening in Afghanistan, where the recent peace talks (between Taliban representatives and government officials) and are being held in spite of the ongoing violence in the country. The same policy must be adopted by the centre on the Kashmir issue," said Abdullah.

"The harassment by the security forces, National Investigation Agency and other agencies will not solve the problem of Kashmir," he remarked.

Representatives of the Taliban and Afghan government officials had recently held peace talks in Qatar's capital city of Doha to ensure lasting peace in the country. While the first day of dialogues was described as positive by both the parties, they were overshadowed by a blast carried out by the Taliban in the Ghazni province that claimed that lives of at least eight people and left 50 others injured.

Abdullah alleged that the central government is trying to open RSS branches in Kashmir with an aim to divide the people in the valley.

"In 1947, India was a different country. But today, it has changed because they want Hindu Rashtra now and that's why they are trying to open RSS branches with an aim to divide the people of Kashmir. People should prepare to raise their voices against the coming storm," Abdullah said.

Questing the decision of the government to restrict the use of Jammu-Srinagar highway by civilians during Amarnath Yatra, Abdullah said, "I went to the National Highway and saw myself that the civilians were being stopped. Why are they being stopped? What is their fault? The highway is for everyone.