SRINAGAR — Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and president of the ruling National Conference (NC), Dr Farooq Abdullah, said on Tuesday that wars have never solved any problem and all problems can be resolved through talks only.
Speaking to reporters at the Pahalgam tourist resort, Dr Abdullah said, “If I speak in favour of talks, I am labelled as a Pakistani or an American agent. I belong to this country, and this is my country. We have seen many wars, but no solutions have been reached through those wars. Be it Ukraine or Palestine or any other international problem, talks are the only way to reach a solution.”
He said the situation is very peaceful in Kashmir, and the air is pure and clean in places like Pahalgam.
“Come and enjoy the air and the beauty of this place. The situation is very peaceful, and while the temperature outside the Valley is 37 degrees Celsius, it is soothing 25 degrees here,” he said.
After an overnight stay in Pahalgam, Dr Abdullah played a game of golf at the picturesque Pahalgam golf course on Tuesday.
Dr Abdullah is in Pahalgam when his son, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, is chairing a special cabinet meeting in Pahalgam as a symbolic gesture to convey that J&K cannot be cowed down by violence and terrorism.
The special cabinet meeting, the first such meeting outside Srinagar or Jammu since Omar Abdullah took over as the chief minister in October 2024, is being held to send a powerful message that Pahalgam is peaceful and tourists are welcome here.
The chief minister will also meet some stakeholders in Pahalgam to express his support for the revival of the shattered tourist industry in Kashmir.
The tourist town has been deserted since the attack in Pahalgam on April 22, that killed 26 innocent civilians, including 25 tourists and a local. –IANS
