Kashmir: Omar Abdullah meets all-party delegation, says peace efforts have lost credibility

Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday met the all-party delegation led by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh in Srinagar and said such efforts have lost credibility as there has hardly been any follow-up after similar visits in the past. [caption id=“attachment_2947202” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Former Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah. PTI[/caption] During his hour-long interaction with the delegation, Omar recalled the previous all-party delegation visits since 1990 to Kashmir and said that “unfortunately when things cool down, there is no progress on the issue”. He said the MPs who have come to Srinagar this time face a mammoth task in their hands to revive faith in this process. He said the then Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao had promised “sky is the limit” but failed to do anything. “There was a time when my father had conveyed to grant internal autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir and had warned New Delhi that if they continue to deny it, time will come when it will also not be acceptable to people of Jammu and Kashmir. I think we are heading for that time only,” Omar said. He told the delegation that his workers were pressurising him not to attend the meeting “such is the situation”. Omar also spoke of “continuous failure of the state government and its dilly dallying tactics”. “Mehbooba Mufti should decide whether she wants to be the Chief Minister or Leader of Opposition. In the morning, she says one thing and does a complete about turn by evening. She wants that Hurriyat should be talked to but in the evening she puts them under arrest,” he said. Omar said such all-party delegations have lost credibility because there was no follow up after their visits in the past. “What happened to 2010 all-party delegation. It was never followed up so the parliamentarians who have come here have a mammoth task in their hands to revive faith in this process,” he said. When asked whether he agreed with the Chief Minister’s perception that only five percent people were unhappy, Omar said, “I wonder by what stretch of imagination, she has arrived at this figure. I don’t agree at all. The space for mainstream politicians has shrunk courtesy the present ruling alliance.” An all-party delegation comprising 26 Members of Parliament arrived here today in an effort to restore peace in the Valley which has been gripped by violence since the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani on 8 July. In the clashes with security forces, 71 people have lost their lives and scores of others have been severely injured. Cutting across party lines, the leaders said that they were hopeful of finding a solution for restoration of peace in the Valley.