A Day after seven workers, including a doctor, were killed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah urged Pakistan’s leadership to stop such attacks if they truly wish to foster friendship with India.
He firmly stated that such deadly attacks would not result in Kashmir becoming part of Pakistan.
In one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in Kashmir in recent years, seven employees of an infrastructure firm were killed on Sunday evening in a terrorist attack on a workers’ camp near the Sonamarg tourist resort along the strategic Srinagar-Leh highway. Five other workers were injured in the assault.
“This is a deeply painful incident. These beasts martyred these poor people yesterday. Tell me, what will these beasts gain from this? Do they believe that they can turn Kashmir into Pakistan with such acts?” Abdullah questioned.
He added that such violence has been ongoing for many years.
“They ( militants) are coming from there. We are trying to resolve this matter so that we can move forward and overcome these difficulties. I want to say to Pakistan’s rulers: if they really want friendship with India, they must stop this. Kashmir will not become Pakistan. It will not happen, it will not happen. Please allow us to live with dignity,” Abdullah told reporters in Srinagar.
The National Conference president reminded that Pakistan initiated this aggression in 1947 by sending tribal invaders into Kashmir.
“You (Pakistan) killed innocent people then. Did Kashmir became part of Pakistan? It hasn’t happened in the past 75 years, and it will not happen now,” he said.
Abdullah advised Pakistan to focus on its own progress and development.
“We want to make our destiny. We want to get out of problems. We want to get rid of poverty here,” he added.
The former chief minister noted that the attack would affect all of Kashmir.
When asked whether India should take action against Pakistan, Abdullah responded that he had no comment on the matter, as it was a decision for the central government.
He said that there can be no dialogue between India and Pakistan as long as innocent people continue to be killed.
