Shopian: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that India and Pakistan should engage in dialogue and work towards improving bilateral relations, asserting that there should be no objection to advocating peace between the two neighbouring countries.
Speaking to reporters in Shopian, CM Omar, said tensions between the two countries are not new and have persisted for decades, and that they intensified further after last year’s Pahalgam incident.
Referring to a recent letter reportedly addressed to the Prime Minister seeking improved ties between India and Pakistan, he said there should be no objection to such an appeal.
He said why similar remarks by leaders from Jammu and Kashmir invite criticism, while statements favouring dialogue by senior RSS leaders do not.
Citing former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he said, “Friends can be changed, but neighbours cannot”. He added that the objective is to see better relations between neighbouring countries through dialogue and peaceful engagement—(KNO)