Rehman Malik`s visit did not help cement Indo-Pak friendship: Omar Abdullah

Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik`s visit and his remarks on Babri issue have not contributed to the process of normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan, J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Friday.

New Delhi: Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik`s visit and his remarks on Babri issue have not contributed to the process of normalisation of relations between India and Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Friday.

"Clearly, he has not helped cement any sort of friendship between India and Pakistan. If anything, his ill-advised statements have harmed the process of normalisation of relations between our two countries," he told reporters here. "Now whether this is just a case of foot in mouth disease or whether he came with a natural script that he read out here (on Babri issue) that I don`t know. That only he would know. But, obviously visits like that, the fewer we have, the better it would be for both our countries." he said. "I think the relations between our two countries are far too delicate for us to have off the cuff reactions and statements like this which are designed more to appeal one domestic constituency than actually do any thing to further international relations between the two countries," Omar added. To a question on mercy plea of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, he said there has been no discussion between the Centre and state government. "Needless to say that earlier, whatever thoughts the state government had on this subject have been conveyed to the Government of India. We would not like to speculate whether he would be hanged or not. "Our assessment of the situation would be known to the government of India as and when a decision in this regard is taken by the Centre," he said when asked about possible ramifications on law-and-order situation in J&K after rejection of guru`s mercy petition pending with President Pranab Mukherjee. Guru, a native of Sopore in Jammu and Kashmir, was given death sentence for his involvement in 2001 Parliament attack case in which nine people were killed and 16 injured. PTI