Onus lies with Pakistan for creating conducive atmosphere for resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue: Omar
JAMMU: Omar Abdullah, vice president of the National Conference, stated on Wednesday that Pakistan is responsible for fostering an environment in Jammu and Kashmir that will allow for the restart of talks with India. ''This runs the risk of damaging a very strong bilateral relationship,'' he said, referring to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations of a ''potential'' involvement of Indian agents in the killing of a Khalistani separatist leader in Canada in June. Given the significant problems in the women's reservation bill, especially the timing for its implementation, the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir stated that his party will not be able to unilaterally endorse it."We have always backed communication between India and Pakistan, but for the discussions to pick back up, a friendly environment is required. At the headquarters of his party in this city, Abdullah told reporters that creating a climate that is conducive to discussion is not just India's job but also Pakistan's. He stated that the happenings in Rajouri, Kokernag, and Srinagar cannot help in fostering the conducive environment required for the conversation in reference to the army and police officials who died in recent confrontations. He claimed that so far, he has not observed any action from the adjoining nation that would aid in fostering the favourable environment required for the talk."I constantly think back to the quote by A. B. Vajpayee, the previous prime minister, that you may change your friends but not your neighbours. No matter what we do, that nation (Pakistan) will continue to be a neighbour. However, he added, "that nation must strive towards creating a favourable environment before negotiations can begin. Abdullah, a former Union minister of state for external affairs, responded that if the Canadian prime minister had any supporting documentation, he should submit it to the world community when questioned about the assertion. ''He says it's based on an ongoing inquiry,'' he says. He should not have preempted the investigation's results by acting now; instead, he should have waited for it to be finished.The connection with Canada has always been extremely good, so if he has evidence to back up his allegation, I would humbly recommend that he share it with the international audience. Otherwise, his comment carries the risk of tarnishing a very solid bilateral relationship. Abdullah said, "That will be really sad. According to him, it will take at least 10 years to implement the women's reservation measure that was introduced into Parliament on Wednesday. The bill mentions delimitation and a census before it is put into effect. Therefore, there is no chance before 2029 and there is a strong likelihood that it would fail by 2034. Why call a special session of Parliament when we had to wait at least ten years to pass a measure is unclear. He suggested that it might have been brought during the winter session. Abdullah stated that they hoped the bill will be enacted quickly and put into effect right away. "This bill has flaws, and we will work to have those flaws fixed." I don't see how we will be able to support a bill that we feel still has flaws on our own,'' he said. He stated that the National Conference has always supported the dignified repatriation of Kashmiri Pandits and their subsequent rehabilitation.Who will object to it (the rehabilitation and return of migrant pandits)? You won't need to drag them back, I've always said. They departed from there (Kashmir) as a result of their sense of unease. They will return if you give them a sense of security again, he said. Moving them from one camp to another, according to him, is meaningless. The environment must be created so they return voluntarily and can reside wherever they choose. That is what we want to see, Abdullah remarked. [caption id="attachment_2970" align="alignnone" width="300"] Onus lies with…
