Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah.
Dialogue is the only way forward for a resolution to the Kashmir issue, former chief minister Farooq Abdullah today said even as he held that nothing has been done to reclaim Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) from the neighbouring country while reiterating views that have invited criticism.
"The only way left is to hold dialogue and find a solution (to the Kashmir issue)," the National Conference leader said at a function in Jammu.
"Ever since I came into politics, I have always said that this state (PoK and Jammu and Kashmir) can never become one. Neither do we have the power to take back their part (PoK) nor have they (Pakistan) the power to take our part; we are a nuclear power and they, too, are," he said at a discussion by civil society to explore the ways for bringing peace and reconciliation between the two countries.
"How much can the army defend us even if the entire army of India came to our rescue, they cannot defend us against terrorists or militants. The only way left is to hold dialogue and find a solution," he stressed.
He said he was hopeful that the Kashmir issue would be solved during the tenure of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, but that did not happen.
In the wake of his comments on Friday, he blamed the media for hyping up his statement and said his views on Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and Jammu and Kashmir could not be the only scenario and he would accept any decision which was acceptable to the majority of people in India, Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir.
"I never said it was the ultimate solution that they keep their part and we keep ours. If you have a better solution acceptable to a majority of Indians, Pakistanis and Jammu and Kashmir citizens, it is also acceptable to us," he said while urging that dialogue has to be started for reaching a resolution.
Referring to the 1994 Parliament resolution on Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Mr Abdullah said nothing has been done following its adoption unanimously to reclaim area under Pakistani occupation.
"They say there is a resolution in Parliament; but tell me what the Parliament has done so far to reclaim that part.
"You passed the resolution, tell me how many resolutions are there in United Nations regarding Kashmir; have any of those been implemented. People on both sides are suffering due to the cross-border firing," he said.
Meanwhile, BJP today sought an apology from Mr Abdullah for his remarks that "PoK is part of Pakistan" and said he was "deliberately raking up" the issue in order to remain in news for his political survival.
"For how many years have we been saying that it (PoK) is part of India. What have we done so far, have we ever taken it back," he had said yesterday.