J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday hinted at a political solution of the Kashmir problem by the Centre in the coming days. “The Union government is actively working for a political solution,” he said, expressing the hope that an “amicable and peaceful” settlement would not be too far off.
Speaking at a rally at Tangdhar, near the LoC in Kupwara district, Mr Abdullah referred to Union home minister P. Chidambaram recent statement in Parliament indirectly acknowledging that Kashmir was a political problem which should be addressed politically, and said: “I welcome it.”
He said his government was working as an active facilitator to reopen both the external and internal dialogue channels, and pledged it would not come in the way of anyone putting forward their viewpoint peacefully in a dialogue process.
“In fact my government has proved instrumental in granting passports to separatist leaders, giving them an opportunity to discuss their viewpoints across the border or anywhere else,” he said. He hoped the Centre would take positive steps in addressing Kashmir’s political issues, and avoid the mistakes of the past.