Dialogue only option for India-Pakistan : Omar

Srinagar, Dec 31 (PTI) Omar Abdullah, all set to be the
new chief minister of India's frontier state of Jammu and
Kashmir, Wednesday cited dialogue and not war as the only
option for India and Pakistan and urged the two countries not
to let "bitterness" creep into their ties which directly
affect the people of the state.

"I want to tell New Delhi and Islamabad from this stage
that war is not an option as nothing can be achieved through
it," the 38-year-old National Conference leader said as he
returned from Delhi to a tumultuous welcome from party workers
and supporters here.

The guns cannot solve any problem and dialogue is the
only way to address all issues between the two countries,
Omar, who entered an alliance with the Congress to form the
next government in the border state, said.

"If Kashmir is to be resolved and relations between India
and Pakistan improved, it will be through dialogue only. I
appeal to the two countries not to allow bitterness to creep
into their relations," Omar said, addressing an enthusiastic
crowd lining up several kms of the road leading to Srinagar
International Airport to greet him.

Omar said India and pakistan should avoid taking
threatening postures as the nature of relations between the
two countries had a direct bearing on the people of Jammu and
Kashmir.

"The relations between India and pakistan directly affect
the people of our state, whether the relations are good or
bad," he said.

Omar, who led the National Conference to emerge as the
single largest party in the assembly elections, said the new
government, which he will be heading, will make efforts to
improve the relations between the two neighbouring countries.
PTI