Confront Pak on ceasefire breach: Omar to New Delhi

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday urged the Central Government to take up the issue of ceasefire violations from across the Line of Control with Islamabad.

Referring to Thursday’s shelling along the LoC which resulted into injuries to five people, including three children in Najwal border hamlet of Samba district in Jammu, Omar said, “The way civilian areas were targeted, and a few children were injured, it does not seem that Pakistan’s intentions are good.”

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a function at SKICC here, the Chief Minister said the issue must be taken up with Pakistan in a “strong manner” as it was getting “more serious” now.

“In their New York meeting, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharief talked about ceasefire violations. It was decided that the DGMOs of both countries will discuss the issue and find some remedy. Instead of a solution, the issue is getting serious. I would request the government of India to take up the issue with the government of Pakistan in a strong manner,” he said.

Omar added the most successful part of the peace process was ceasefire and “if the ceasefire is ended, then it would be difficult to enforce it again.”

“We want the ceasefire to remain (in force) so that people living near the border and LoC live  comfortably. The prevailing tension there (on LoC) is not good for us (state),” he added.