By fomenting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has caused a lot of hardships for the people of the state, Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said today.
"It is unfortunate that Pakistan has fomented the trouble of terrorism which has created a lot of hardships in far-flung and border areas of Jammu and Kashmir," Azad said.
He was speaking at a public meeting organised at Mendhar border belt of Poonch border district.
The Union Health Minister, however, said that the ruling National Conference-Congress coalition in the state had restored peace and development in these areas.
On the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Azad said: "Now is the time for people to realize that they should vote for secularism."
JKPCC president Saifuddin Soz and Madan Lal Sharma, NC-Congress joint candidate for Jammu-Poonch Lok Sabha constituency, also addressed the public meeting.
National Conference leaders Davinder Singh Rana, Ajay Sadotra and Javed Rana, who were also present at the meeting, made an appeal to the people to vote for Sharma.