Rajouri, Apr 25: Indo-Pak relations have a direct bearing on the peace and development of Jammu and Kashmir and restoration of talks between the two countries bodes well for the state, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said Wednesday.
“Indo-Pak relations have direct bearing on the peace and development of Jammu and Kashmir. We express hope that the restoration of dialogue process between the two countries would be carried on to the logical end,” Omar said while addressing a public gathering in Darhal area of Rajouri district.
The chief minister said peace was pre-requisite to economic prosperity and all round development. “You have witnessed the benefits of a peaceful 2011 in the shape of economic activities and development across the state,” he said and added that his government was wholeheartedly involved in the resolution of day-to-day problems of the people, making justice and equitable development benchmark of governance.
“History is witness to the path-breaking and innovative initiatives taken by our coalition government in the state on political and development fronts to restore peace and march ahead on road to prosperity,” he said.
He listed major achievements registered during the last three years in the state by his dispensation with special reference to the comprehensive development in the sectors relating to the delivery of basic amenities to the people.
The chief minister said that peace and progress with a thrust on creation of job opportunities is the endeavor of NC-Congress alliance.
“The next three years will witness further fillip and fast tracking of development in the state,” Omar said.
Denouncing what he called Peoples Democratic Party’s petty politicking and false propagandist approach, Omar said that self praising and slogan raising has remained characteristics of this party since its inception. “This party (PDP) is habitual of selling the good deeds of others in their own name”, he said adding that the party miserably failed to deliver on its own when it was at the helm in the State.
Citing the example of opening of Uri-Muzaffarabad road by the two heads of the countries of India and Pakistan, the Chief Minister said that the leadership of the party (Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, Mehbooba Mufti) are still selling the initiative under their brand name. “Same is case with so many other initiatives”, he added.
Chief Minister said that during the PDP dispensation, the party did nothing solid to address the menace of corruption. He said it is his government which constituted State Information Commission, strengthened Accountability Commission and brought in Public Service Guarantee Act to check corruption at all levels and book the culprits under the law.
 “Removing a few officials from service to pretend to be against corruption is something else and enforcing law to bring everyone from top to bottom in the government under the public scan and subservient to the law of the land is something different”, he added.
Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Forests, Mian Altaf Ahmad castigated PDP for what he termed indulging in undemocratic and anti-people activities. He said this party’s only agenda is to mislead people and create wedge between various sections of the society. He said the party leadership tried its hard during the last three years to throw mud on National Conference but failed as ‘lie has no legs to stand upon’.
Minister of State for Tourism, Nasir Aslam Wani also addressed the meeting.
Earlier Omar paid obeisance at the shrine of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah popularly known as Shahdara Sharief.
He laid foundation of Baitul Zaireen and other allied works at Shahdara Sharief.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 25 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 IST