Promoting border tourism is 'tamasha', India-Pakistan should hold talks on Kashmir issue: Farooq Abdullah

Terming the centre’s efforts to promote border tourism or holding rallies in Jammu and Kashmir as only a “tamasha”, National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said that India and Pakistan hold talks with honesty on the Kashmir issue to resolve disputes. “The hearts of both the countries should be pure. There has been enough show-off,” the Srinagar MP told reporters here when asked whether the situation in Kashmir had changed as border tourism is being promoted and Tiranga rallies are being organised across the valley. India and Pakistan should talk with pure intentions as wars do not resolve anything, Abdullah said. “Till both the countries do not talk with honesty over the Kashmir issue, all this is a show-off (and) this tamasha will go on till then. It will happen every year but the issue will remain there,” he said. Raising questions over the government’s claims of normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir, the NC president asked if there is peace in Jammu and Kashmir, then why is there terrorism, why are bullets being fired, and soldiers and people getting killed? “If there is peace in reality, then why is this happening? That’s because they (Pakistan) think it has not been resolved yet. Who will make them understand that only talks will resolve issues,” Abdullah asked. One can see in Ukraine what war does, he said. “Europe is getting destroyed economically. Who is getting killed? It is the people of Ukraine. What will they achieve? Would it change the borders? So, both the countries (India and Pakistan) should keep in mind that nothing will be achieved by war and only talks will resolve issues, like they (Indian government) are talking to China. There have been 18 rounds of talks and talks have taken place at the foreign minister level as well,” he said. Asked about the Jammu and Kashmir administration promoting border tourism at many places near the Line of Control (LoC), Abdullah said, “We want that borders should be opened so that we will also see the part (of Kashmir) which is under them (Pakistan). Then, we will accept that there is true peace.” With PTI inputs.