Kashmir will become Gaza without India-Pakistan dialogue, says Farooq Abdullah

Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and senior National Conference (NC) leader and MP Farooq Abdullah on December 26 warned of a situation akin to Gaza in Palestine if India did not have a dialogue with Pakistan over Kashmir.

Lashing out at the Narendra Modi government for its hesitation in engaging in peace talks with neighbouring Pakistan, Farooq said: “Dialogue is the only way forward to resolve lingering issues.”

However, external affairs minister S Jaishankar, in August, dismissed any talks explaining it was impossible if terrorism was being normalised.

Farooq criticized the killing of innocent people who have nothing to do with terrorism, expressing sorrow that “the hatred has spread so much that Hindus and Muslims think they are enemies of each other.”