Thaindian News

Jammu, March 2 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday said that his state gets directly affected by the India-Pakistan relations and hoped that the resumption of talks between the two countries would augur well for this Himalayan state.
Replying to a debate on the motion of thanks on the governor’s address to the legislature Tuesday evening, the chief minister said the resumption of the talks between Delhi and Islamabad could turn out to be a good omen for Jammu and Kashmir.

The foreign secretary level talks were held between India and Pakistan in New Delhi February 25.

Omar had been pitching for India-Pakistan dialogue ever since he took over as chief minister of the state in January last year.

He had also argued that terror attacks should not hold up the dialogue process between India and Pakistan, while demanding that Pakistan should take appropriate action against all those involved in the 26/11 Mumbai attack.

“The good relations between the two neighbours have good effect on our state and bad relations create the vice-versa effect,” he said and hoped that “the ties between the two countries will improve”.

“When Indo-Pak dialogue process was on, many confidence building measures like opening of Uri-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakot roads, linking two parts of the state, came into being and the percentage of infiltration came down considerably having good effects on the peace and development of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

Quoting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement “India will move extra mile if Pakistan acts against terrorism,” Omar said: “We appreciate and salute the prime minister for this peace loving gesture which indicates the intention of India to improve the relations with Pakistan.”

“Pakistan has itself promised that it would not allow its territory to be used against India, as such, it has to fulfil its commitment and stick to its word,” he said, adding that his “government will continue to play its role as a facilitator of dialogue between New Delhi and Islamabad and the central government and the state.”