Omar Abdullah accuses separatists of ‘arming’ valley’s youth with stones

SRINAGAR - Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has hit out at the separatists in the region for allegedly ruining the mind-set of youngsters by handing over stones to them to be pelted at security personnel.

Addressing a public meet here on Thursday, Abdullah said: “The state government is trying to curb the trends of stone-pelting by offering certain constructive and progressive prospects to the youth.”

“There are political outfits here which capitalise on the problems of the masses to survive. Their political agenda is met when people die. They would never want that the issue of Jammu and Kashmir is resolved because the day the issue of Jammu and Kashmir is resolved, their very existence will be over,” he added.

“The day people stop dying, their existence will be over; the day there will be no need of strike, their existence will be over. These are the same people who deliver stones to the youngsters,” he said.

Three civilians including a seven-day-old toddler were killed and hundreds other injured in the valley region when unknown miscreants pelted stones during the protests in last couple of months.

He also spoke against the Indus Water Treaty between India and Pakistan.

“As per the terms of the treaty, Pakistan has exclusive rights over waters of three rivers Chenab, Jhelum and Indus, which originate from Jammu and Kashmir, while India has exclusive rights over waters of rivers Ravi, Satluj and Beas in Punjab,” he said.

“Three rivers of Punjab are with India, three rivers of Jammu and Kashmir were handed over to Pakistan. We (Kashmiris) don’t have right over utilisation of our own waters,” he added. (ANI)