Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone on Thursday underscored the need for dialogue to resolve Kashmir issue, saying “hard measures can only contain a problem, but won’t resolve it”.
Talking to reporters on sidelines of a function organized byhis party here, Lone said conflicts can be resolved only through dialogue.
“History stands witness to the fact that no outstandingissue has been resolved without talks. When you take hard measures you cancontain a problem but won’t resolve it. Containment does not mean you havecured a disease. The disease is still there,” he said.
To a question about US President Donald Trump’s offer formediation on Kashmir, Lone said New Delhi will never agree on third partyintervention on Kashmir.
“All of us know that New Delhi will never agree on thirdparty mediation on Kashmir. Whether it is third party mediation or bilateraldialogue between India and Pakistan, either of the two are welcome measures.Rather than communicating through violence, the best form of civilized way toresolve conflicts is to sit across table and sort out the issues,” he said.
Lone said his party would not compromise with special statusof Jammu and Kashmir. “I want to tell you that we will not compromise with theArticle 370, internal autonomy and special constitutional provisions forJ&K,” he said.
Lone also lashed out at National Conference and Congress for”eroding” the State’s autonomy.
“Article 370 was a 10-storey building and its nine storeyshave been demolished. And the people responsible for its demolition now wantpeople to make them guardian of remaining one floor. Those who demolished ninestoreys would raze entire building,” he said, adding that those responsible forbulldozing Article 370 during the past 70 years should be held accountable.
Alleging that thousands of innocent Kashmiris were killedduring the rule of National Conference, Lone said the party (NC) can’t sidewith “both martyrs and killers”.
“I saw Farooq Abdullah showering flowers on the graves of1931 martyrs. I salute martyrs of 1931. But I want to ask Farooq Abdullahwhether those killed during 1996 to 2002 and 2008 to 2014 are martyrs or not. If they are martyrs, thenFarooq Abdullah has no right (to enter martyr’s graveyard),” he said.
While welcoming Mushtaq Ahmed Ganai, former NC constituencyIn-charge from Charar-e-Sharif into the party fold, along with his workers,Lone said the PC was all set and ready to be the “vehicle of change and deliverto the people of J&K a vibrant state”. “We believe in economic empowerment. It is ourbelief that strong political empowerment cannot be achieved with economicempowerment,” he said