Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah today said the admission of a Hurriyat leader on the killings of his two colleagues is an eye-opener for separatists who should now involve in a dialogue with the Centre to resolve Kashmir issue.
"This is an eye opener for all and time has come to stop all kinds of bloodshed in Kashmir and (they should) play a pro-active role to solve Kashmir issue through dialogue," Abdullah said at a function here.
Former Hurriyat Conference chairman Abdul Gani Bhat created a flutter among separatists on January 3 when he said that Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq and Abdul Gani Lone were killed by "our own people" and not by the security forces.
The chief minister said the separatist groups, including the one led by hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani, should read the writing on the wall and join the dialogue process. "Whether it is Hurriyat-G (Geelani faction) or Hurriyat-M (Mirwaiz faction), they should read writing on wall and realize that dialogue is the only solution of all the issues"
Apparently referring to Geelani, Omar said separatists should give up their double standards on dialogue. "Those who have double standard should desist from it. When they can meet (parliamentarians) Ramvilas Paswan and D Raja, why they should shy to meet the interlocutors?" he asked.
He said the Centre has given full mandate to the team of three interlocutors headed by veteran journalist Dileep Padgaonkar for finding a political solution to Kashmir issue.
"Whatever recommendations they will make, the Centre will consider them positively," he assured.
Abdullah said use of guns and politics of strikes in Kashmir over the years have not yielded anything in terms of progress in the resolution of Kashmir issue.
On the development of Srinagar, the National Conference chief minister said the old Srinagar City was ignored deliberately during the previous PDP regime but his government has taken active steps to develop the area in a "big way".
He said housing is one of the biggest problems in the old city as several families living under one roof is a common sight.
Omar said a satellite township would be developed for easing the congestion in the old city.
He said as part of the initiative to render justice to all areas of the state, for the first time director general of police Kuldeep Khoda himself conducted on spot recruitment in Khanyar area yesterday.
Referring to protests held by the Opposition People's Democratic Party over power-shortage, Omar said the party had done nothing to improve the power scenario in the state during its six-year rule.
While work is being taken up on several power projects to improve the supply position, he appealed people to use electricity judiciously and as per agreement.
