Omar asks Pakistan to stop ceasefire violations KATHUA: Asking Pakistan to stop ceasefire violations along LoC, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said people on both sides of the border were bearing the brunt of it and the incidents will not improve bilateral relations between the two countries. “The best thing is, we (India and Pakistan) should accept and respect the ceasefire and ensure safety of people living on two sides of the border,” Omar told reporters during an assessment of flood-hit areas in Kathua district today. The Chief Minister was responding to questions on ceasefire violations by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) and prospects of improving relations between the two countries. “People living close to LoC have to suffer…Whether it is from this side or the other…They have to bear the brunt of ceasefire violations,” he said. “This (ceasefire violation) is nothing new…We have been repeatedly saying that leaders of India and Pakistan …Accept ceasefire…For people’s benefit (living close to the LoC on both sides),” Omar said. “I cannot understand what Pakistan achieves by breaking ceasefire … Wherever they violate ceasefire, we strongly retaliate and they (Pakistan) suffer losses,” the Chief Minister said. The 225-km long LoC in Poonch-Rajouri sector has witnessed daily firing since August 10 with over 28 ceasefire violations this month alone. There have been over 80 ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops till now from January 1 this year. Replying to another question on India’s hope in the Nawaz Sharif government for improvement of Indo-Pak relations, Omar said, “How much hope we will keep in the Nawaz Sharif government depends on several factors, as Pakistan is not controlled by the civilian government alone…There are others too…The ISI, Army and other factors.” Meanwhile, speaking in Jaipur, National Conference patron and former Chief Minister of J-K, Farooq Abdullah, said that if a neighbouring country like Pakistan wanted to be on cordial terms with India, it would have to live within the limits of friendship. “They (Pakistan) have to stop it (violating ceasefire) if they want friendship… Our effort should be that we live within the limits of friendship,” Abdullah, the Union minister for New and Renewable Energy, told a farmers’ workshop on solar power. “India is not weak on the border… We are not wearing “churiyan” (bangles)… We will give a fitting reply at the appropriate time,” he said, taking a dig at Pakistan. “Neighbours threaten that Kashmir will go away from India, I firmly say Kashmir was of Hindustan, is of Hindustan, and will be of Hindustan forever,” the Union minister said. Talking about the recent communal clashes in Kashmir’s Kishtwar, he said it would be clear as to who all were behind the violence when a probe by a retired judge into the matter was completed. (PTI)
Posted on: Thu, 22 Aug 2013 17:12:54 +0000