Omar Abdullah returns to a grand welcome in Srinagar

Omar Abdullah returns to a grand welcome in Srinagar
Srinagar | March 19, 2006 9:06:22 PM IST

National Conference Chief Omar Abdullah was accorded a grand welcome in Srinagar on Sunday on his arrival from his recent visit to Pakistan.

Omar Abdullah had gone to Pakistan to attend an international conference on Kashmir organised by Pugwash, a non-government organisation, in Islamabad. He also had a one-to-one meeting with Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf.

Omar said that he expected more cooperation from Musharraf in controlling cross-border terrorism.

General Musharraf is himself a victim of militancy. He has survived four assassination attempts. I think, as far as controlling militancy is concerned, he has done a lot. But still there are lots to be done in this area. He needs to cooperate more with us and I think he will do so in the future, said Omar.

Separatist violence in Kashmir is not as bad as it used to be, but continues despite a slow peace process between India and Pakistan, who have three wars and a conflict over the divided Himalayan region.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed since a separatist revolt broke out in 1989 in Jammu and Kashmir.

Omar, who presented Musharraf a document on greater autonomy, hoped that it would find acceptance in the latters theory of self-governance.

We did not go there to seek their endorsement on autonomy nor did we go there to endorse their views. We went there to have a dialogue and a beginning has been made. President Musharraf is currently trying to make a map for his self-governance theory. We hope that our opinion on greater autonomy will see some place in his theory, he said.

Incidentally, Jammu and Kashmir enjoyed autonomy until 1953, and the National Conference has been pressing for autonomy since it was in power.

The issue has been hanging for many years and the National Conference had demanded autonomy for the state when it was an ally of the then ruling National Democratic Alliance after the state legislature passed a resolution on it in June 2000.

The party says that greater autonomy is the only solution to the strife, which has plagued the Himalayan region for the past 16 years.

The National Conference party had ruled Kashmir for more than 35 years before losing out to the ruling Congress party and Peoples Democratic Party Alliance in the 2002 Assembly polls. (ANI)

Viewer's Comment

Comments Not Available

More Stories