National Conference President Farooq Abdullah speaking to the media, in Srinagar.
Credit: PTI Photo
Srinagar: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah has said dialogue is the only way to resolve issues between India and Pakistan as any confrontation will have serious consequences for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Reacting to a recent statement of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on taking back Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Abdullah said on Sunday that no one was going to stop him.
"Let the defence minister do it. Who is going to stop him? In any case, they won't ask us. But let them remember this also that they (Pakistan) are not wearing bangles, they also have an atom bomb. The unfortunate part is that the atom bomb will fall on us," the former chief minister said here.
In an exclusive interview to PTI, Singh said India will never give up its claim on PoK but it won't have to capture it with force because its people, on their own, would want to be part of India after seeing the development in Kashmir.
Abdullah questioned the Centre's policy of holding talks with China but not with Pakistan.
"The only alternative, other than a war, is... dialogue. They (Centre) can talk to China 19 times. China is occupying thousands of kanals of our land and China is not budging. Instead, it is advancing. Why can't they talk to them (Pakistan) so that this blood-letting stops and we can live in peace?" he asked.
On the Poonch attack, Abdullah said Union Home Minister Amit Shah should answer for it.
"I think it is a very sad incident. Our soldier has been martyred. They have been repeatedly saying that Article 370 is responsible. Now Article 370 is also not there but you should ask the home minister whether terrorism is still there or not."
"Our soldiers get martyred every day and they are silent. Then they blame us. They should refrain from it," he added.
One soldier was killed and four were injured as terrorists ambushed an Indian Air Force (IAF) convoy in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Saturday, three weeks ahead of polling in Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency.
The terror attack took place around 6:15 pm when the troops were returning to the air force station from Jaranwali.