Sharif reneging on assurances given to Manmohan Singh: Omar Abdullah

Accusing Pakistan of wanting friendship with India, but not converting this goal in action, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is repeatedly going back on the assurances he had given to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New York in September.

"Pakistan's leadership is expressing their want of friendship, but not converting it into action. Once again, the people living around the border and LoC are troubled. ...Pakistan is shaking hands for improving relations with India, but, on the other hand, is continuing to violate the ceasefire," Abdullah said on a visit to Ramgarh in the state's Samba Sector.

"Either Pakistan's Prime Minister is hand in glove in ceasefire violations, or he has no control over his own army," he added.

Boosting the morale of the villagers, Abdullah said they have shown bravery in the face of trying times in the past, and added that no Pakistani action along the border could dampen their spirits.

"I cannot understand why they are breaking ceasefire again and again. Do they think we will give up here? Do they think some big storm will come and change everything in their favour? Do they think, you, who haven't been broken even after seeing several bloody wars, will crumble in weakness by these ceasefires?" an emotionally charged Abdullah said.

The frontier posts in the Samba sector have repeatedly been the focus of Pakistani attack, as the ceasefire continues to be breached despite assurances from Prime Minister Sharif that his country wants peace and tranquility along the LoC.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on Thursday expressed his disappointment regarding the increased number of violations along the Line of Control and the International Border despite gaining assurance from the Pakistani leadership of their intent to respect the cease-fire in September this year.

Dr. Singh also said that he hoped that his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif at this 'late hour' would realize that border violations were detrimental for both countries.

On Tuesday, Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde visited Samba and Hiranagar sectors of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday to review the security situation on Line of Control (LoC), in the light of the increasing number of violations along the border, and promised stern action against the culprits.

In the September 29 talks between Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, both sides had agreed that improving the situation on the LoC is the 'precondition' to 'forward movement' in the India- Pakistan relationship.