Pakistan in terrible trouble: Farooq Abdullah

BANGALORE - Pakistan was in “terrible trouble this time” due to unabated violence, terror attacks and suicide bombings, union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah said here Tuesday when three people were killed in a blast outside the Peshawar Press Club.

“I think Pakistan is in terrible trouble this time. It is not for an Indian to tell what its government should do to tackle terrorism,” Abdullah told IANS on the margins of an energy event here.

Hoping that the Pakistan government would put down terrorism, Abdullah said once India realised it meant business, everything would fall into place and the dialogue process between the two countries could resume.

“I think dialogue will work again once India realises that Pakistan means business and would not allow its soil to be used for terrorism against India. Its government has to first chargesheet the perpetrators of Mumbai terror attacks on Nov 26, 2008,” the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister asserted.

Welcoming the withdrawal of two divisions of the army from civilian areas in the border state, Abdullah said the ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir was much better and the presence of troops in cities and towns was not required.

“We have a good, well-trained police force. There is also central police to look after law and order. The Indian army has a function of looking after the borders,” the National Conference president clarified.

Noting that infiltration was coming down, Abdullah said the decline in terror incidents in the northern state was due to the firm stand taken by the world against it.

“The world is not going to stand by terrorism and watch it grow. A firm and united stand against terrorism is resulting in better climatic conditions for putting an end to the menace,” Abdullah asserted.

Abdullah is on a visit to India’s tech hub to participate in a daylong seminar on ‘Smart Grids - Business Opportunities’, organised by the Consortium of Electronic Industries of Karnataka (CLICK).