SRINAGAR: National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah on Thursday asserted that terrorism would never succeed in Kashmir, saying those who believe they can capture the region through violence are living in a misunderstanding.
Speaking to reporters, Abdullah said claims made in Delhi that terrorism had ended were not reflective of the ground situation, as terror incidents continued to take place. He stressed the need to find a lasting solution to eliminate terrorism.
Referring to the recent attack in Kishtwar in which two Special Police Officers (SPOs) were killed, Abdullah said such incidents continued to occur and there was no certainty about where the next attack might take place.
Responding to claims of normalcy following the abrogation of Article 370, he acknowledged that terrorism remained a challenge but urged people not to live in fear. Reiterating his stand on Jammu and Kashmir, he said, “Kashmir was, is, and will remain a part of India.”
On Pakistan, Abdullah recalled the violence witnessed during earlier conflicts and said repeatedly raising the Kashmir issue would not resolve outstanding differences.
Referring to ongoing conflicts in different parts of the world, including Iran-America and Ukraine, he said wars bring destruction and dialogue ultimately provides a way forward.
“I always tell Pakistan — stop terrorism. Nothing will come out of this. Adopt the path of dialogue, through which a way out can be found. We were both parts of one country,” he said.
Abdullah also called for the revival of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), saying regional countries should come together to resolve disputes, strengthen cooperation and pursue development.
Drawing a comparison with post-war Europe, he said countries that once fought devastating wars had eventually moved towards greater unity and cooperation.
“But bullets and talks cannot go together,” he added.
Asked about Sonia Gandhi’s book, Abdullah said he had not read it and would not comment on its contents until he had gone through it.
