Kashmir will meet Gaza's fate if no India-Pakistan talks, says Farooq Abdullah

National Conference Chief and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah, on Tuesday, said if India and Pakistan do not end disputes through talks, Kashmir will meet the same fate as that of Gaza and Palestine. Farooq Abdullah's shocking remarks come days after 5 Army Jawans were killed in a terrorist attack in Poonch and the deaths of three civilians the next day.

“If we do not find a solution through dialogue, we will meet the same fate as Gaza and Palestine, which are being bombed by Israel,” the former chief minister said.

Citing late prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's stand on Kashmir, Farooq Abdullah said, “Atal Bihari Vajpayee had said that we can change our friends but not our neighbours. If we remain friendly with our neighbours, both will progress. PM Modi also said that war is not an option now and the matters should be resolved through dialogue.”

He asked, "Where is the dialogue? Nawaz Sharif is about to become the Prime Minister of Pakistan, and they are saying they are ready to hold talks with India. But why we are not ready to talk? If we do not find a solution through dialogue, we will meet the same fate as Gaza and Palestine, which are being bombed by Israel."

Meanwhile, Army chief Manoj Pande visited the Rajouri and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday and asked the local soldiers to dismantle the caves that are being used as hideouts by the terrorists. He also reviewed the security arrangements in the area.

Meanwhile, as the aerial surveillance and combing operations in Rajouri-Poonch, especially in the forest belt of Dera Ki Gali and Bafliyaz, entered Day 7 on Tuesday, mobile internet services remained shut for the fourth day in a row.

Sources said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will visit the Rajouri-Poonch sector on Wednesday and interact with on-duty soldiers in the international border area and meet with civilians, who are still grappling with the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in the region.