Farooq Abdullah not sure if Centre is ready to remove mistrust

On his return to Srinagar after attending the all-party meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Thursday, former J&K Chief Minister and patron of National Conference (NC), Farooq Abdullah, said on Saturday that he is not sure if the Centre is ready to remove the mistrust existing on the ground in Jammu and Kashmir.
Talking to the media after his arrival back home, Abdullah said, "Let us not jump and see if the Centre is ready to remove the mistrust existing on the ground in Jammu and Kashmir.

"I told them that the first Prime Minister had promised us plebiscite but went back on it. Narasimha Rao had promised autonomy and said sky was the limit. Where is that autonomy?

"Let me tell you frankly, there is a level of mistrust which has to be removed. How the Centre removes it, is for them to decide."

Asked whether there would be a second meeting with the Central leadership, Farooq Abdullah's son and former J&K CM Omar Abdullah, who was also part of the delegation of Kashmiri leaders that attended the all-party meeting in the national capital, said, "Nothing is fixed as of now."

Asked about NC's participation in the delimitation commission, Omar Abdullah said, "There has been no fresh approach from the delimitation commission and as and when the commission makes an approach to Dr Sahib (Farooq Abdullah), he will take a call."

Omar Abdullah also said that he did not agree with the contention of former Deputy CM of J&K, Muzaffar Hussain Baig, who said during the all-party meet that since the issue of Articles 370 and 35-A is sub judice with the Supreme Court, it cannot be discussed during the meet.


"I don't agree with the contention that since this matter is under the consideration of the Supreme Court, we should not discuss it," he said. -IANS