National Conference Working President Omar Abdullah on Sunday said the Kashmir Issue had to be resolved through sustained dialogue and engagement and said unabated civilian killings were unacceptable.

Abdullah in a tweet said, “It’s been a terrible day in Kashmir & with the number of critically injured I fear it will only get worse. May Allah grant us peace”.

It’s been a terrible day in Kashmir & with the number of critically injured I fear it will only get worse. May Allah grant us peace.

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— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) May 6, 2018

Addressing a public meeting at Dras on Sunday, Abdullah said that the educated, employed young men are becoming militants calls for serious introspection at the central and state level.

“When educated, gainfully employed young men choose the path of militancy – it should serve as a wakeup call for those who have turned a deaf ear towards repeated pleas for initiation of dialogue with all stakeholders to find a solution to this quagmire,” said NC Working President.

Turning a blind eye towards the alarming situation won’t change reality. The growing levels of alienation and isolation are alarming signs and need to be acknowledged and addressed politically. This is not an economic issue and cannot be resolved through economic packages”, said Abdullah.

Abdullah said the current PDP-BJP government had neglected Dras and its people.

“The power projects initiated for this region have been shelved for reasons best known to the current government. Developmental works planned and initiated by the previous government for Dras and Kargil have been stalled creating a huge infrastructure deficit in these regions,” former J-K CM said.

“National Conference has always had a vision of equal and balanced development for all regions of the state and we will continue to remain dedicated towards people of all regions of the state, especially those areas that have been neglected and sidelined”, the NC Working President added.

“The state is reeling under a failure of politics and imagination and the ruling dispensation seems more interested in remaining glued to power for as long as they could. The ramifications of their politics are there for everyone to see. This alliance has distanced the people of the state and divided them on regional and religious lines to seek political dividends from such divisive politics”, Abdullah said.

“The state needs to be pulled out of this morass through consensus, peace and a vision-oriented politics that brings the people of the state closer together rather than dividing them”, the NC Working President further added.