Effective response needed for ceasefire violations: Omar

The CM appealed to the centre to take effective steps to ensure that Pakistan respects the bilateral ceasefire agreement

If Pakistani troops do not respect the ceasefire agreement, India would have to respond with force, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said Monday.

Speaking at the Police Commemoration Day at Zeewan headquarters of the J&K Armed Police here, Omar Abdullah said: "I fail to understand whether the Pakistan prime minister has a hand in it or he is not in control of the situation there."

"If the violations continue, we are capable of responding with force. They have been targeting our villages in Samba, Ranbir Singh Pura and Akhnoor. People are abandoning their fields, homes and the schools are closed in these areas," Omar noted.

"We must strive to defeat these forces who are trying to destroy the lives of our people living close to the border," he said.

The chief minister appealed to the central government "to take effective steps to ensure that Pakistan respects the bilateral ceasefire agreement signed by the two countries".

He said a team of state government ministers Monday is visiting the places where the displaced villagers have taken shelter.

"We will ensure to ease the difficulties faced by the people of these villages till they are able to return to their homes," Omar said.

Replying a question about the recent statement of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif asking for US mediation on Kashmir, Omar Abdullah said: "I think in this instance, the Pakistan prime minister is guilty of talking to his home audience."

"India will not accept any foreign interference in J&K and the two countries have also agreed on this," Omar said.

"Decades back when the Shimla Agreement was signed, this basic principle was accepted by both the countries."

The chief minister said the state police and other security forces would have to stand on guard as militancy is still not over.

"If militancy had been over, things would have been different. We should not give any chance to them (militants) to succeed by our mistakes," the chief minister said.