The Hindu : National : Farooq Abdullah's remarks on travel permit his own: Omar

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 22, 2005

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National

Farooq Abdullah's remarks on travel permit his own: Omar

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR, MARCH 21. Differences within the opposition National Conference (NC) over issuing travel permits for the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service came to the fore today with its president, Omar Abdullah, saying that the statement given by the party patron, Farooq Abdullah, was his personal view and he, in fact, had no authority to speak on policy matters of the party.

Extending full support to the bus service, Mr. Omar Abdullah said the National Conference from the time of its founder, Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, had been advocating opening road links between the two parts of Kashmir. Stating that Jammu and Kashmir had been forcibly divided, the NC president said it was unacceptable to his party to travel with a passport on this route. "J&K is an artificially divided state and we would never accept reunification on the basis of passports," he said.

Addressing a press conference at his father's residence today, the NC leader clarified that what Dr. Abdullah had said in the Rajya Sabha was his personal view. "Only the president, general secretary and party spokesman are authorised to issue statements on policy matters," he said, virtually showing the door to the party patron and former Chief Minister, Farooq Abdullah. Dr. Abdullah's statement that the passport and visa should not have been replaced by the Line of Control (LOC) permit for travel on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road has evoked sharp criticism in Kashmir from many quarters. He had accused the UPA Government of undermining the security of the State.

Urging that the bus service should run daily, Mr. Omar Abdullah said Delhi and Islamabad should do a lot more to sustain the goodwill and the "feel good" atmosphere that the trans-LoC bus had generated on either side of the "artificial divide." "It needs to be a big bus and a daily service. Travellers should not switch the buses and cross the LoC on foot. A big concrete bridge should be constructed. If they want to see the response, let them ply a fortnightly service for six months but for God's sake, let them make a commitment of making it a daily service or otherwise it will boomerang. The road needs to be opened for trade as well."

The NC president said he had written a letter to the External Affairs Minister, K. Natwar Singh, seeking an explanation on some key questions regarding the bus service. "After all, we must know who has the priority to board the bus." Mr. Omar Abdullah said if the flagging off ceremony of the bus service to be presided over by the Prime Minister is declared as a national ceremony then he would join but "if it is a party [Congress or PDP] ceremony then I may not be there."

When asked whether as party president he had sought an explanation from Dr. Abdullah on the passport issue, Mr. Omar Abdullah said: "Yes, I met him soon after his speech in the Rajya Sabha and told him that it was not the party stand." Dr. Abdullah did mention in his speech that his party would not be happy with him on the issue. "There is no confusion [on this issue] in the party. I have sought an explanation from him [Dr. Abdullah] and I am satisfied. On issues we may differ but there is no trouble in the family as is being projected."

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