Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has hoped that massive attack on Army and police in Jammu would not derail peace process poised to be restarted by Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan in New York.
Calling the twin attacks in Hiranagar and Samba as “dastardly”, he said time has arrived when we must expose elements inimical to peace.
“Whenever something untoward happens between Indian and Pakistan, its impact is felt in Kashmir”, Abdullah said at a hurriedly convened Press conference soon after the reports of heavy casualties in twin attacks poured in.
Abdullah is chairman of Unified Command Headquarters that carries out anti-insurgency operations in the embattled State. He said the attack that left at least 12 people including an Army officer dead was aimed at derailing the dialogue process, especially the fresh move to revive the process by the PMs of India and Pakistan in New York.
Condemning the attack Omar offered sympathies to the family members of those killed in the attack. linking the sacrifices of the soldiers with the peace process he said that it would be grave injustice with the sacrifices of the slain cops and soldiers if peace process is stopped.
The Chief Minister said that he would convene the meeting of UHQ to analyze whether there have been weaknesses, which led to the attack and casualties. “We would try to rectify the weaknesses to prevent such things in future,” he said. Abdullah said that he does not see any link between the infiltration in Macchil and Keran sectors in north Kashmir and the recent attack in jammu. Significantly, Omar refused to reply questions on the issue of secret funding to Kashmiri politicians by the Army reveled by former army chief VK Singh.