Omar Confident of Continuing Peace Talks with Separatists

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has expressed confidence of carrying on the dialogue process with the separatists over the Kashmir issue.

Abdullah, who completed his one-year in office on Tuesday, said that he was hopeful of continuing peace dialogue with the separatists.

“There are obviously pressures on Mirwaiz (Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chief of moderate faction All Parties Hurriyat Conference) and clearly he has certain fears for his own life and security. He also has certain political pressures that are brought to bear on him,” said Abdullah.

“But in the immediate aftermath of the attack on Fazal Haq Qureshi (senior leader of Hurriyat Conference), he committed himself to a dialogue process and I am hopeful this would continue,” he added.

He said that the government had learnt a great deal during the last one-year.

“We have learned lessons from our mistakes. If we don’t learn lessons, then we will repeat those mistakes,” said Abdullah.