Farooq, Omar hope Swaraj visit will help improve Indo-Pak ties

National Conference today hoped that the proposed visit of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to Pakistan next week will help in improving relations, lead to resumption of dialogue process and resolution of all outstanding issues between the two countries.
National leaders Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah, both former Chief Ministers of the state, welcomed the fact that Swaraj will be travelling to Pakistan, hoping that it will help reduce tensions between the two countries.
"We hope that Sushma Swaraj's visit to Pakistan will improve the relations between the two countries and also in carrying forward the dialogue process so that all issues between them can be resolved," Farooq told reporters here after paying tributes to his father and party's founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on his 110th birth anniversary.

Farooq, who was commenting on media reports about Swaraj's visit, also welcomed the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Paris last week.
"We do not know what they talked about but let us hope that they find some way of resolving this (Jammu and Kashmir) issue," the NC leader said, addressing the party supporters at Sheikh's mausoleum on the banks of Dal lake here.
Omar Abdullah said although Swaraj was visiting Pakistan for a conference on Afghanistan it should not be taken lightly given the circumstances in which it is happening.

"It is a good thing that Sushma Swaraj is going to Pakistan. Although this is not a bilateral visit... However, External Affairs Minister's visit to Pakistan is not a small issue, especially in conditions where there is tension between the two countries.

"Even if the visit is happening due to Afghanistan, we will be hopeful that the bilateral dialogue is also resumed," Omar said.
"We hope that this visit will lead to improvement in situation (between India and Pakistan), the ceasefire (along the border and LoC) will be respected and the dialogue process will be resumed," Omar told reporters here.
Farooq Abdullah addressed the party workers in Kashmiri, refusing a request by mediapersons to speak in English or Urdu. "This is our mother tongue and we should promote it," he said to a loud applause from the party workers.
He reiterated his earlier statement that neither India nor Pakistan had the capability to annexe the territory of Jammu and Kashmir in each other's control. "Both have atom (nuclear) bombs. Are we going to drop these bombs on each other and get wiped out?" he asked.

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The senior Abdullah said his son Omar Abdullah, during his meeting with then Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in 2006, had presented to him a copy of the 'Autonomy' report prepared by the National Conference.
"Omar explained the salient features to Musharraf, who told him that they can work on it," he said.
He also recalled his meeting with then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee upon the latter's return from Pakistan in February 1999 after his bus ride to Lahore.
"Vajpayee went to Pakistan by bus and he spoke to (Pakistan Prime Minister) Nawaz Sharif. He (Vajpayee) suggested him to keep that (PoK) and we will keep this (J-K)," Farooq claimed.

He claimed similar views were expressed by Khurshid Kasuri, Foreign minister in Musharraf regime, on resolution of Kashmir issue.
"Farooq may not be around but mark my words -- this is the only solution to Kashmir. If anyone has a better solution, we are not against it. However, any solution should be dignified and acceptable to people of Jammu and Kashmir," he added.
The only "trouble" with that solution is that the "shops of those who want the situation in Jammu and Kashmir to remain as such will close down, he said, lashing out at the separatists.
"They are surviving because of the division and their shops will close once there is a solution," he said.

Farooq asked National Conference leaders to make people, especially the youth of the state, aware about the autonomy of the state and Article 370 of the Constitution, which grants special status to Jammu and Kashmir within the Indian union.
"Many people talk about Article 370 and autonomy without knowing anything about it. You should make people aware of this," he said.
Abdullah also hit out at the PDP-BJP coalition government saying the flood victims have been neglected while unemployment is on the rise and prices of essentials have skyrocketed.
Senior National Conference leaders including MLAs and office bearers were present at the function.