J&K could become 'Gaza' without dialogue between India-Pakistan: Farooq

Invoking former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the National Conference President said while speaking to ANI, "Atal Bihari Vajpayee had said that we can change our friends but not our neighbours "

Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah warned on Tuesday that the Union Territory will meet the same fate as that of Gaza, which is at war with Israel, in the "absence" of a political dialogue.

He also urged the leaders of both India and Pakistan to find a solution to their bilateral issues through dialogue.

Invoking former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the National Conference President said while speaking to ANI, "Atal Bihari Vajpayee had said that we can change our friends but not our neighbours. If we remain friendly with our neighbours, both will progress."

The NC leader mentioned that PM Modi also said that 'war is not an option now' and 'the matter should be resolved through dialogue".

Farooq asked both the nuclear power countries, India and Pakistan, "Where is the dialogue?"

"Where is the dialogue? Nawaz Sharif is about to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan, and they are saying that we are ready to talk (with India), but what is the reason why we are not ready to talk?"

"If we do not find a solution through dialogue, we (Kashmir) will meet the same fate as Gaza and Palestine, which are being bombed by Israel...", he warned.

In 1999, former Indian PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee visited Pakistan just a few months before the Kargil War began. In the year 2015, PM Narendra Modi held a meeting with Nawaz in Pakistan during a surprise visit to the country. Pakistan's continuous attempts to infiltrate Indian territory with terrorists have been the reason for unfriendly relations.

The 26/11 Mumbai attacks left an unending outrage and pain amongst Indians. India-Pakistan ties nosedived after the abrogation of Article 370 in the year 2019.

Farooq Abdullah's latest comments come just days after four soldiers were killed in a terror attack on an Army Convoy in Poonch sector.

The National Conference president said shunting out army officers will not address the Poonch civilian deaths case and called for an investigation to find out why innocent people were "tortured" to death.

Three civilians were found dead a after they were picked up by the Army for questioning following a deadly terrorist ambush on two Army vehicles in Poonch last Thursday.

"Peaceful citizens, eight of them, were taken away and three were beaten so mercilessly and chilli powder rubbed into their wounds. Three of them could not bear the torture and succumbed. Five others are in the hospital. The brother of one of the victims is in the BSF and has been serving for the past 24 years now he says that he has got brother's death in return to his services to the nation," Abdullah told reporters here.

He added, "The Army Chief has taken Northern Commander also from here to the academy in Dehradun but it will not resolve the problem. There should an investigation into why this happened?"

(Inputs from ANI and Press Trust of India)