Omar predicts mid-term polls; says Azad govt fall imminent

Srinagar, Dec 20 (UNI) National Conference (NC) chief Omar Abdullah has predicted mid-term elections in Jammu and Kashmir, saying the coalition government will soon fall in view of serious differences between the Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He asked the people to be prepared for fresh Assembly elections in the state as the Ghulam Nabi Azad-led coalition government would not complete its full term in the office.

''I can swear that the Congress-PDP coalition government will not complete its full term. You have to be ready for fresh elections which will be held within next six months,'' Mr Abdullah told a public gathering in south Kashmir.

His remarks came amid reports of verbal duel between the Congress and PDP ministers during the Cabinet meeting in Jammu on Monday when the members of the two alliance partners traded charges against each other and exchanged heated words following which the Chief Minister had threatened to dissolve the state Assembly.

Taking a dig at former Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, he said the PDP patron propagated Indian agenda at the United Nations and fooled people by asserting that he pleaded self-rule proposal.

Terming the PDP as a ''copy cat'', the NC chief said whatever Pakistan President Pervez Mushharraf preaches, the Muftis and their party follow the suit. ''Gen Musharraf talks of demilitarisation and the Muftis follow the suit. In fact, the PDP has no agenda of its own,'' he added.

Mr Abdullah said his party had brought the Hizbul Mujahideen on the negotiating table, but with the change of government, all the five militant commanders who held parleys were killed.

''The five Hizb commanders were killed under a conspiracy hatched by the PDP,'' he alleged.

Mr Abdullah, a former Union Minister of State for External Affairs, appealed to both India and Pakistan to take concrete steps for resolution of the contentious Kashmir issue and put an end to the ongoing bloodshed and atrocities in the strife-torn state.

He claimed that large number of custodial killings had taken place during the past four years of coalition government then during the six years of the NC regime.

''Only 27 custodial killings took place when the NC was in power for six years while 33 such deaths have taken place till now in the coalition government's rule,'' Mr Abdullah added.

UNI AG SI DS1300