Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah, on Wednesday, said he was ready to quit his post if Pakistan demanded so as a pre-condition to stop its "proxy war" in the state. "I am ready to step down if Pakistan demands it as a pre-condition to end the ongoing proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir," Abdullah said addressing the Independence Day parade at Bakshi stadium in Srinagar.
Referring to the demand of opposition leaders that his government be dismissed for its alleged failure to protect the lives of innocent people, Abdullah said, "Dismissal of my government will not end terrorism in the state". He said Pakistan-sponsored mercenaries had unleashed terror in the state for the past 12 years and innocent people were becoming fodder for the enemy's canon every day.
Abdullah asserted his government's recent resolution demanding greater autonomy for the state was not aimed at separating it from India but to strengthen the country. "The demand for greater autonomy is within the framework of the Constitution," he said. "We want to press our reasonable and justified demand in peaceful manner as we believe in ballot rather than bullet," he said and expressed confidence that the aspirations of the people would be met soon.
Abdullah also said that the "enemy" had adopted a new strategy in the state, though he did not spell it out. Bureau Report