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Friday, October 2, 1998

Farooq rules out separate homeland for Pandits

PRESS TRUST OF INDIA  
HYDERABAD, OCT 1: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah today categorically ruled out a separate home land for Kashmiri Pandits.

``It is not possible as long as I am alive,'' Abdullah told a press conference here.

``Pandits and Muslims are integral part of Jammu and Kashmir and they have to live together and fight the terrorist designs of Pakistan jointly,'' he emphasised.

Calling upon the Pandits, who had migrated from the State after the outbreak of terrorism, he said they have to come back to their homeland and added that the government had also repaired several temples destroyed during the period of militancy.

A special package for their rehabilitation was also being worked out by the State Government, he said adding a meeting convened by Union Home Minister L K Advani in New Delhi with the leaders of migrant Pandits living in camps would take some positive decision in this regard.

Emphasising the need to unitedly fight terrorism abetted by neighbouring Pakistan in the State, hesaid, ``I have lost 60,000 Muslims in this war against terrorism.''

Welcoming the new Kashmir policy initiated by the Centre to fight terrorism, Abdullah said ``We have to retaliate with the same force and it is not possible for us to lay down any more.''

The chief minister said the situation in the State had improved to a great extent after the new policy initiative.

He urged the Centre to effectively check infiltration of terrorists, smuggling of arms and ammunition through the border by strengthening border security.

Citing various development measures taken by the government after he took over as chief minister two years ago, Abdullah said though everything that had been destroyed in militancy had not been re-built, a good beginning had been made in many fields especially education, power and building roads and bridges.

Referring to tourism, he said lakhs of tourists including foreigners, had visited the State during the last season and the flow is expected to increase during the currentyear.

Abdullah, who arrived here yesterday, visited the hi-tech city and film city of Ramoji Rao and also held a meeting with Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today.

Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.


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