‘Kashmir Not Going To Become Part Of Pakistan’: Farooq Abdullah Reacts After Gulmarg Attack

In a stern message to Pakistan, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Dr Farooq Abdullah on Friday said the erstwhile state is not going to become part of Pakistan. His reaction comes day after militant attack on Army near famous ski resort Gulmarg which left three soldiers and two porters dead.

Recently, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed spike in terror incidents. Last week militants attacked a construction site in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district at Gagangir village leaving at least seven people dead. In the deadly militant attack, seven persons including two J&K residents and five non local workers including three from Bihar and one each from Punjab and MP were killed.

Abdullah added the attacks like the one in Gulmarg would continue to occur until India and Pakistan found a way to be friends and that would end Jammu and Kashmir's troubles.

"Such attacks will continue to take place in this state. You know where they come from and it will not stop until some way is found to get out of this trouble. I have been witnessing it for the last 30 years, innocent people are getting killed," Abdullah told reporters.

"We are not going to become a part of Pakistan. So, why are they doing this? To disrupt our future? To make us poorer?" he asked.

National Conference president Abdullah said rather than fomenting trouble in J&K, Pakistan should look towards its own plight and work for its betterment.

"They are getting ruined themselves but are ruining us as well," he said.

Abdullah appealed to Pakistan to stop the violence and find a way to form a friendship with India.

"If they don't find a way, the future will be very difficult," he said.

He also paid tributes to the slain in the Gulmarg attack.

"I pay my tribute to those who have been martyred. I apologise to their families," he said.

"People voted in the assembly polls and now the assembly will work for the people. We hope the Centre grants full statehood so that the government is able to work for the people," he said.

On Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's recent meetings with the prime minister and Union ministers in Delhi, the senior Abdullah said coordination with the Centre was needed for smooth functioning of the Jammu and Kashmir government.

"When I was the chief minister, I used to say this every time that coordination is a good thing because everything is with them," he said.