SRINAGAR, May 9: Hoping that some heated exchange of words between India and Pakistan in the aftermath of killing of Osama bin Laden would not derail peace process, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said India has no intention to carry out American type strikes in Pakistan or Pakistan administered Kashmir (PAK).
Addressing a press conference at Civil Secretariat here after the reopening of “darbar move” offices, he said, “Pakistan has warned us against any misadventure on its soil. We have no intention for such a misadventure.”
During the press conference chief minister talked about a number of issues. He hoped that after Osama’s killing the dialogue process between India and Pakistan would not get derailed again. He said there was no intelligence evidence of Al-Qaeda’s presence in Kashmir. Chief minister asked the separatists not to delay the political solution of Kashmir issue by refusing talks with interlocutors and also hoped that the dialogue process between India and Pakistan would lead to a solution of Kashmir issue with which the people of the state are satisfied.
Omar said he will not get engage in war of words with Syed Ali Shah Geelani, chairman Hurriyat Conference (G) to avoid inconvenience to the people in the form of strikes and protests. However, he refused to comment when asked as to why the state government objected to the public interest litigation (PIL) of JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik for registration of cases against the police and security men involved in the killing of civilians during last year’s civilian unrest. “This is a legal issue. I do not know about it. You better approach our law department and they will tell you,” said chief minister when a media person asked him as to why the government presented the list of criminal cases against Yasin in the court when prime minister has no objection meeting and talking to him.
Chief minister said the then chairman of J&K Bank Dr Haseeb Drabu was not sacked but he resigned after he learnt that his term was not getting extended. About Drabu’s criticism of the pact between J&K and RBI, he said infact the former was himself keen for the agreement. “Now Drabu has no work, he is using high class English in his writings in press to present a wrong picture,” Omar said. He described the pact between the two banks as a win win situation for J&K bank, government and people.
About the rehabilitation policy for militants, he said it is evoking positive response and the state government has received 700 applications from the families of the youth, who are in PAK and want to return to Kashmir. He also defended his using Twitter saying he would stop tweeting the day he feels that it affects his official work.
Chief minister started the press conference with the opening remarks that the people of the state want peace and development. He stated that his government is trying its level best to come upto their expectation and would dedicate this summer for development. “Government of India has initiated talks on two levels- one through interlocutors in J&K and the second with Islamabad. I am hopeful that separatists would join the talks as they have been claiming that they are for a solution through dialogue. If they refuse to join the dialogue they are delaying the political solution. We are hopeful that India and Pakistan will reach a solution, which satisfies the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Asked whether Geelani’s strike and protest call against the arrest was a reaction to his recent statement in which he had stated that he would not allow the Hurriyat (G) chairman to become hero, chief minister said,” I do not want to get involved in this war of words. Geelani sahib is a senior member of society. I hope he would not cause inconvenience to people with his actions and if he has to say something he must do so
politically without disturbing the people.”
Chief minister said militancy in Kashmir has an external dimension but said there is no intelligence evidence regarding link between Al-Qaeda and Kashmiri militancy. “Osama bin Laden had talked about the unfinished agenda on Kashmir several times. But during my two and a half year long tenure as head of the unified headquarter I did not come across any evidence, linking militancy here with Al-Qaeda,” he said.
About a Canadian newspaper report that Abbottabad house of Osma belonged to Hizbul Mujahideen, Omar said he cannot comment since there was no confirmation from the independent sources.
Chief minister said India will not carry out the US type strikes in Pakistan. “Immediately after Osama’s killing our foreign ministry stated that the dialogue with Pakistan would not be discontinued. Pakistan has warned us not to carry out any misadventure there. But we have no intention to do so,” he said.
Omar stated that with great difficulty the dialogue between India and Pakistan was brought back on track after it had got derailed due to Mumbai attack. “It should not get derailed again,” he said.
Chief minister described as a win win situation for the state government, J&K Bank and people of the state, the pact between J&K Bank and the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). This is a wrong notion that we are selling out J&K Bank to RBI. The pact has only cancelled the overdraft facility to the state government, which had risen from Rs 700 crore to Rs 2,300 crore in a few years. J&K Bank continues to be the financier to the state government," he said.
Elaborating Omar said the Union Finance Commission has recommended an award of Rs 1,000 crore to the state government and the provision of borrowing another Rs 1,000 crore at low interest rates from the market. "This will save the state government the interest it had to pay to the Jammu & Kashmir bank, while the bank will have Rs 2,000 crore to pump into the market. The only thing is that the bank employees will now have to work harder to get people to sell loans to customers," he said. According to him, due to the pact, the people will have more access to funds from the bank, as earlier, these used to be tied up by the state government. The bank continues to be the property of the people of Jammu & Kashmir and the RBI has allowed a special dispensation for it (J&K Bank) to be the sole financier to the state government," he said.
About his tweets, chief minister said,” It does not take much time to write a tweet. Through Twitter I am in touch with others and get feed back. I am not saying so since I have 23,000 followers. The moment I will feel tweeting hampers my official work I will stop doing it.”
Asked whether he drove fast when he reached Srinagar from Jammu in five and half hours yesterday , Omar said,” No I did not. There was no convoy from Srinagar to Jammu and it helped. The speed of my jammer, which moves ahead of my vehicle, does not exceed 80 kms per hour.”
He appealed to the media not to highlight tourism related rush as it creates problems.
Earlier, the chief minister was presented guard of honour by cops when he reached the civil secretariat at 9.30 A.M. He was accompanied by some other ministers Abdul Rahim Rather, Taj Mohi-u-Din, Mian Altaf Ahmad, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Peerzada Sayeed Ajaz Ahmad Khan, Nasir Aslam Wani, Abdul Gani Malik, and Javid Ahmad Dar.
(Courtesy : www.kashmirtimes.com)
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