Farooq Abdullah says India, Pakistan should improve ties
Earlier today, Abdullah called for a thorough investigation into the explosion at Nowgam police station, saying “errors” in the initial handling of the explosive device may have contributed to the tragedy that left nine people dead and several residential structures damaged.
JKNC chief Farooq Abdullah.
Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said India and Pakistan should work to improve their relations. Speaking to ANI, the JKNC chief said, “I hope nothing like this happens (Operation Sindoor). Nothing came out of it (Operation Sindoor). Our people died. Our borders were endangered. I hope both countries improve their relations. This is the only way. I want to reiterate what Vajpayee Ji said, friends can be changed but neighbors cannot be changed.”|
Earlier today, Abdullah called for a thorough investigation into the explosion at Nowgam police station, saying “errors” in the initial handling of the explosive device may have contributed to the tragedy that left nine people dead and several residential structures damaged. An accidental explosion at Nowgam Police Station late on Friday night killed nine personnel, injured 32 and caused extensive damage to the nearby building. The Nowgam blast, which took place during the use of explosives in the police station premises, is being investigated by the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
Speaking to ANI in Srinagar, the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister criticized the way local authorities handled the explosive material and stressed that those with appropriate expertise should have been consulted in advance. “This is our fault, those who understand this explosive better, we should have talked about how to deal with them first instead of trying to handle it ourselves, you saw the result, 9 people lost their lives. There was so much damage to the houses there,” he said.
Abdullah also attributed the effects of the Nowgam blast to the atmosphere of suspicion faced by Kashmir residents across the country following the recent blast in Delhi. “We have not yet emerged from the crisis that is pointing fingers at every Kashmiri in Delhi. When will the day come when they will accept that we are Indians and that we are not responsible for this? Ask those responsible why these doctors had to resort to this path? What was the reason?” he said.
Calling for accountability, the JKNC chief argued that the circumstances leading to the explosion, including the alleged involvement of people with medical backgrounds, warranted a deeper investigation. “There is a need for a comprehensive investigation and study of this,” he said, calling on authorities to take responsibility and prevent similar incidents. he said.
(Except for the title, this news has not been edited by the DNA team and is published from ANI news agency).
