NEW DELHI: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday advocated dialogue between India and Pakistan, saying meaningful engagement between New Delhi and Islamabad must begin without waiting for hostilities to end.Talking to reporters, Abdullah asserted that bullets and military confrontation cannot resolve political disputes.“Ab aap intezaar karenge, jab tak aap sabki goliyan band ho jayengi, tab tak raat ho jayegi (If you keep waiting for everyone to stop firing, it will be too late by the time the guns fall silent),” Abdullah said.“I have always told Pakistan to stop terrorism. Nothing can be achieved through terrorism. The process of dialogue must begin because only through talks can a way forward be found,” he added.The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister also called for the revival of SAARC, saying regional countries must come together to resolve their differences and work towards collective progress.“India is the largest country in the region, and Indira Gandhi had shown the way for India to maintain cordial and sympathetic relations with neighbouring countries. We must revive SAARC so that all of us can sit together, resolve our disputes and work towards progress and development,” he said.Reacting to the recent twin terror attacks in Kulgam and Kishtwar districts, which claimed the lives of two Special Police Officers (SPOs) and left three CRPF personnel injured within two days, Abdullah asserted that those harbouring ambitions of taking Kashmir must abandon such notions. He also said that terrorism would never succeed in its designs.However, he expressed concern over claims in Delhi that terrorism had ended in Jammu and Kashmir, maintaining that the recent incidents indicated that the threat persisted and that concrete measures were needed to eliminate it.“I have already said such incidents are still happening. One never knows where the next attack might take place,” he said.This comes days after Abdullah courted criticism for his remarks that Pakistan’s repeated efforts to raise the Kashmir issue internationally were putting pressure on India.He alleged that the Centre’s intentions towards Jammu and Kashmir were not good and urged people to stand up for their rights.“What can you expect from Delhi? You must have the courage to stand up to them and fight. If you do not, you will be wiped out. Your name and identity will disappear, and no one will even remember you. Our neighbour (Pakistan) is constantly after them. It goes everywhere, saying that the Kashmir issue has not been resolved.
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It is protecting us; otherwise, their intentions are not good. They say one thing but do something entirely different,” Abdullah said.He also called on people to stand by the truth, warning that their future would remain insecure unless they spoke out.“You must have the courage to stand by the truth. Speaking the truth is not easy, but unless you speak the truth and stand firm by it, your future will never be secure,” he said.