WikiLeaks bombs rattle Kashmiri politics

Wiki bombs have rattled the political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir. The latest target being the chief minister Omar Abdullah who was quoted by cables telling the US diplomat Dan Burton in 2005 that India did not have a road-map to solve the Kashmir issue. Omar’s National Conference was in opposition in 2005 and Congress was the ally of the PDP that was ruling the state in 2005.

Omar, according to the released cables, had stated that the prime minister must think outside the box to solve the festering problem. Omar, according to cables had even accused Centre of being content with the status quo on Kashmir issue.

Wikileaks had further quoted cables noting that Omar had acknowledged that Pakistan had gone farther than India on the Kashmir issue.

Seven years down the line, Omar, who is now sharing the power with Congress in J&K, said he never questioned sincerity (of the Centre).

“I felt there was no roadmap for the solution of issue (Kashmir) at that time. So many changes have taken place such since then. India and Pakistan have resumed the dialogue process. Internally the dialogue process through interlocutors is on. I hope the dialogue process, both internal and external, will yield results,” Omar told reporters in response to Wikileaks expose.

He hastened to add that cables have reported so many wrong things which are far from the truth. “Had the ambassador who had sent cables been here I would have asked him on which basis he had sent this wrong information to his country,” he said.

On Afzal Guru Resolution, Omar noted that the resolutions in the J&K assembly are not automatically admitted. “It goes to the ballot and resolution is selected by luck of a draw. Whether this resolution actually gets through or not? After that it is up to the individual parties to decide how they want to approach the resolution,” he said.

Meanwhile, Omar Abdullah also condemned the bomb blast in Delhi and expressed sympathies with the bereaved families.