Farooq Abdullah hopes Manmohan-Sharif meeting on UN sidelines to be fruitful

PM today confirmed he would meet Sharif during his visit to US

Minister of New and Renewable Energy and chairperson of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, Farooq Abdullah, on Wednesday expressed hope that the meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York is fruitful and that something really emerges for the good of both nations.

"I think his meeting with Nawaz Sharif is also important because we can change friends, we can't change neighbours. We either live in friendship or live in disaster," Abdullah told media here.

"It's a good step. I hope and pray to god that it is fruitful, that the meeting takes place and that something really emerges for the good of both nations," he added.

The Prime Minister today confirmed that he would be meeting Sharif during his visit to the United States.

In his departure statement released before embarking on a five-day visit to the United States, Dr. Singh said he looks forward to bilateral meetings with leaders of some neighbouring countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.

"During my visit to New York, I also look forward to bilateral meetings with the leaders of some of our neighbouring countries, including Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan," he said.

Tension has been running high along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch District since August 6 when five Indian soldiers were ambushed and killed by Pakistan's Specialist Forces.

After that incident and a series of ceasefire violations at the LoC, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had urged the Prime Minister not to hold talks with Sharif unless Pakistan demonstrated some commitment to ending attacks in India.