Omar Abdullah confident of continuing dialogue with separatists

Jammu (Jammu and Kashmir), Jan 6 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said that he is confident of continuing the dialogue process with the separatist forces over the Kashmir issue.

Omar Abdullah completed his one-year term in office on Tuesday.

39-year-old Abdullah said he is hopeful of continuing a peace dialogue with the separatists.

"There are obviously pressures on Mirwaiz (Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chief of moderate faction All Parties Hurriyat Conference) and clearly he has certain fears for his own life and security. He also has certain political pressures that are brought to bear on him," said Abdullah.

"But in the immediate aftermath of the attack on Fazal Haq Qureshi (senior leader of Hurriyat Conference), he committed himself to a dialogue process and I am hopeful this would continue," he added.

The youngest Chief Minister in the country, Omar Abdullah, said on Tuesday his government had learnt a great deal during the last one-year.

"We have learned lessons from our mistakes. If we don't learn lessons, then we will repeat those mistakes " said Abdullah.

The State Government went through a difficult period during the agitation triggered by the Shopian incident when the dead bodies of two girls were recovered, giving rise to the speculation that the two girls were raped and murdered.

Following the outbreak of demonstrations, Omar Abdullah entrusted the investigations to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The CBI conducted investigations, which indicated that the girls died of drowning, and were not raped. But the demonstrations triggered off in the Kashmir Valley, slowed down the development of infrastructure in the State.

Grandson of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah and son of Farooq Abdullah, Omar is a third generation chief minister from his family.

Abdullah's National Conference (NC) returned to power after six years last year and formed the government in coalition with the Congress. (ANI)