Senior leader Farooq Abdullah pitches for India-Pakistan dialogues leading to Jammu and Kashmir-specific CBMs

SRINAGAR: As the President Ram Nath Kovind arrived in Srinagar on 4-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Ladakh, National Conference president and Lok Sabha MP Farooq Abdullah on Sunday pitched for sustained and result oriented dialogue between India and Pakistan and stressed that dialogue should result in J&K-specific Confidence Building Measures (CBMs).

"Both India and Pakistan should be consistent, coherent and serious in their nascent engagement and ensure people of J&K and Ladakh live a life free from unending miseries," Abdullah said while addressing party functionaries at two separate meetings in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district.

Asserting that there is no substitute to dialogue, he said the moves and the messages indicating a thaw in relations between both the neighboring countries has put brakes on the escalating tensions.

"For the entire chest thumping, both countries cannot win a war against each other. India and Pakistan must realize the ground reality, The more serious and consistent both nations are in settling all outstanding areas of disagreements, the better it would be for early return of lasting peace and stability to J&K and the entire region," Abdullah said.

"But the dialogue should result in J&K centric CBMs including resumption of cross-LoC trade through a proper banking mechanism and doing away with the present barter system. Such J&K centric CBMs will indeed help two countries solve their disagreements amicably and in an objective manner for the greater good of the people of J&K, Ladakh and the entire region," he asserted.

The NC president said if ties between two nations are to improve than both the nations have to come out of their shells and narrow down the space of their differences to get together on the table to work towards an environment that recognizes the concept of JK’s historical individuality, uniqueness of its socio-political complexes and restoration of its political dignity and historical selfhood.

The India-Pakistan dialogue process, according to Abdullah, would benefit people of J&K the most.