Indian-controlled Kashmir chief minister says talks only way forward

Indian- controlled Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday said talks were only way forward to resolve Kashmir issue.

"We do not subscribe to war but are in favor of resolving the issues through talks and in a peaceful manner," Abdullah said.

The chief minister along with his ministers Tuesday visited border areas and interacted families affected by recent India and Pakistan firing.

Abdullah said peace and tranquillity on borders was equally important for both India and Pakistan and both neighbors should help each other in maintaining peace along the borders.

"Authorities across the border should understand this need ( peace on borders) and help in creating calm on the Line of Control (LoC) and borders," he said.

Abdullah criticized people playing politics over human sufferings and said border skirmishes have made lives of people in border areas miserable.

"People of border areas have to bear the pain of the gun fire and their lives, property and economy get severely affected due to shelling and firing," he said.

"Prime concern of all should be to provide necessary help to the affected people without having any political consideration."

Last month, India's right-wing Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) president Amit Shah attacked Abdullah for ignoring people living close to borders.

Indian-controlled Kashmir local government said the firing has affected over 15,000 people of 5,000 families in 45 villages along international border (IB) in Jammu province.

The local government has taken up the issue of construction of bunkers and shelters for people affected with skirmishes with federal government, officials said.

"The government will again take up the matter with the Home Minister Rajnath Singh during his upcoming visit to Jammu and Kashmir (indian-controlled Kashmir) so that this long pending demand is agreed upon," he said.

Last month, the troops of India and Pakistan targeted each other on IB and LoC for days.

Both New Delhi and Islamabad accuse each other of resorting to unprovoked firing and violating cease-fire.

India also canceled last month's foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan, citing its reservations over Islamabad's proximity with Kashmiri separatists.

The cancellation of talks increased tension between the two countries. Enditem