'Kashmir issue as important as other issues in India': Omar Abdullah

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah has said that for India, the Kashmir issue is and should be as important as other issues, whereas in Pakistan, all other issues are prioritized below the Kashmir issue.

In an interview to a Pakistani journalist, Omar Abdullah said that India takes the Kashmir issue seriously.

"India takes the Kashmir issue seriously, but if you say, the way Pakistan sees the Jammu and Kashmir, does India see it similarly, then the answer is no. We, however, believe that the Jammu and Kashmir is such an issue for which we need to find a solution. But for India, that is not the only issue. In Pakistan, Kashmir is always kept first and after that everything. In India, we say that with all the other issues, it is important for us to resolve the Kashmir issue," he told his Pakistani interviewer

Abdullah further said that his National Conference wants the Kashmir issue to be resolved.

"For the NC, this issue is very important. Kashmir will always stay important for us. We want this issue to be resolved. Our people are dying," he added.