National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said time had come for India as the bigger country to find ways of talking with Pakistan and finding a solution to the Jammu and Kashmir problem. War has not and cannot provide a solution to the problems as confrontation only leads to increase in tragedies, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.
“… if you have to fight terrorism, which Prime Minister has said is a world over thing, then time has come for the government of India, which is the bigger country than Pakistan, to find ways and means of talking with Pakistan and finding a way forward,” Abdullah told reporters at the National Conference headquarters in Srinagar.
The time had come, he added, for finding a final solution acceptable to the people of Pakistan, India and Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. The Lok Sabha member from Srinagar hit out at those who criticised him for his statements on Azad Kashmir.
Abdullah in recent comments has dared the centre to hoist the national flag at Lal Chowk in the heart of Srinagar city before talking about unfurling it in Azad Kashmir. He has also claimed that Azad Kashmir cannot become a part of India. “I am not saying anything which is irrational. For 70 years, Azad Kashmir has been part of Pakistan and this (J&K) has been part of India. Four wars have been fought and in these four wars, nothing has happened. They hold that territory and we hold this territory,” Abdullah said.