Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Sept 26: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said that twin terror attacks in Jammu are aimed at derailing talks between Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif but stressed that the process should go ahead.
Chief Minister told reporters at a hurriedly arranged press conference in Srinagar: “Given our history and given the timing as well as location of the attacks, one thing is obvious that the aim of these terrorists is to derail the proposed dialogue between the Prime Minister of India and Prime Minister of Pakistan. The attack took place 24 hours after PM announced his meeting with Nawaz Sharif.”
Omar said the forces inimical to interests of Jammu and Kashmir have always tried to derail the peace process between India and Pakistan and this is a step in that direction but stressed for defeating the designs of these forces.
“Those who are not friends of peace have done it and we should not allow them to succeed in their designs”, said Chief Minister.
Omar said there will be political pressure on the Prime Minister not to move ahead in the dialogue process with Pakistan but any such move will mean a victory for the perpetrators of the attacks in Kathua and Samba.
“This is being done to keep the ongoing turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir alive. Clearly there will be political pressure brought to bear on the Prime Minister to resist any further movement in the dialogue process. Obviously, it is for the Prime Minister and his advisors to decide how to proceed further in this matter”, he said.
Omar stressed for going ahead with the talks process to defeat the objective behind the attack. “If it is against the talks we should carry forward the talks process. We hope we will not give chance to these forces to succeed”, he said.
Despite the audacious twin attack, the Chief Minister stressed for peace resolution of the issue. “As far as we in this State are concerned, we have always been committed to a peaceful resolution of all problems that have existed in this State and we hope that it is the course that is followed,” he said.
Omar said it will be an injustice to those brave soldiers and civilians who laid down their lives if the dialogue process is stalled due to the strikes. “They did not lay down their lives to allow the terrorists to succeed in their designs. They laid down their lives for peace,” he said.
The Chief Minister said Pakistan needs to be told in clear terms that it cannot be business as usual if such attacks continued. “But we need to convey this message sitting face-to-face with them. We need to tell them that this is not acceptable,” he said.
Omar said that the militant group that carried out twin attacks had recently infiltrated in the area. He said: “It is not speculation, it right that these militants have infiltrated within 12 to 14 hours. There is no place to harbour them and it was a recently infiltrated party. However, we have not established it yet.”
Chief Minister said that he had sent Director General of Police and Home Secretary to Jammu and he would review the security situation tomorrow. “I am reviewing the security at Unified Headquarters meeting tomorrow”, he said.
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