Sajjad Lone's father responsible for gun culture in Kashmir Valley: Farooq Abdullah

Srinagar, Dec 3: People's Conference chairman Sajad Lone is now on the cross hairs of National Conferance president Farooq Abdullah. Sajad Lone, a separatist-turned-politician, has in the past slammed both the NC and the PDP for encouraging dynasty politics culture in theri respectives parties.

Farooq Abdullah on Sunday claimed that late Abdul Gani Lone, the father of Sajjad Lone, was responsible for gun culture in Jammu and Kashmir.

Farooq, who has served as the state's Chief Minister three times, said Sajad's father had met him when his government was dismissed in January 1990.

"When I was dismissed by Jagmohan, Sajjad Lone's father came to me and said that I'm going to Pakistan to bring guns. I prayed to him with folded hands and told him that it will kill many people and army personnel in the state but he did not listen," Farooq Abdullah told the media.

Abdullah also welcomed the opening of the Kartarpur corridor and sought the opening of roads extending into Pakistan occupied Kashmir across the Line of Control. "Opening of such more roads between the divided parts of Jammu and Kashmir is the way to help people of the two sides to come closer and not let them feel isolated," he said, as per an Indian Express report.

Who was Abdul Ghani Lone?

Abdul Ghani Lone was a Kashmiri lawyer, politician and Kashmiri separatist leader. Lone was born in Dard Hare, Kupwara District. He earned a law degree from Aligarh Muslim University in 1957. He made his entry into politics serving in the state assembly as a Congress candidate in 1967. In 1978, he formed a Kashmiri separatist organization called People's Conference dedicated to "the restoration of 'internal autonomy' in Kashmir."

He was assassinated on 21 May 2002 while commemorating the twelfth anniversary of the death of Kashmiri leader, Mirwaiz Maulvi Farooq. Eyewitnesses said that earlier in the day a group of youths arrived at the Idgah, shouting pro-Pakistan slogans, and two of them fired on Lone.