Farooq urges PM to adopt political approach for Kashmir

NC leader Farooq Abdullah, who has been recently elected from Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, today called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and urged him to adopt a political approach to find a lasting solution to the Kashmir situation and not consider it solely a law and order issue.
Abdullah, who is also a former Union minister and Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, met the prime minister for over 30 minutes during which wide ranging issues pertaining to the situation in the valley were discussed.
"Farooq Abdullah sought a political approach from New Delhi to deal with the Kashmir Valley and to not deal with it solely through operational and law-and-order mechanisms," a National Conference spokesman said.

The spokesman said Abdullah, president of the National Conference, apprised the prime minister about several measures that need to be initiated in the valley at the earliest.
"Treating the issue merely as a law and order problem will continue to compound the already grave situation," the spokesman said.
This is the first meeting Abdullah had with Modi after being elected to Parliament. He had defeated PDP-BJP alliance candidate Nazir Ahmed by over 10,000 votes from the seat which had fallen vacant after Tariq Karra had resigned from the ruling PDP.

Abdullah urged the prime minister to take urgent steps to address the Kashmir issue politically, saying it was not a mere law and order problem.

He assured complete support to any efforts being initiated by the Centre for restoration of peace in the valley which has been virtually on boil for last 10 months.
The former chief minister, in his earlier addresses and interaction with public, had warned that if immediate attention was not paid to the problems of the people, the valley may witness a troublesome summer in 2017.