PM Modi has the courage to hold talks with Pakistan: Farooq Abdullah

NEW DELHI: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Dr Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that he has the courage to hold talks with Pakistan.

"I congratulate Jammu and Kashmir CM for realizing that till we have talks with Pakistan, militancy will not end. I feel Modi ji has the courage to initiate this and take it to the logical end," Dr. Abdullah said.

In the past, the National Conference leader had said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government should tread on former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's path to resolve the Kashmir issue.

He had said that the BJP government had come to power seeking votes in the name of Vajpayee but forgot about its promises after taking charge. "After coming to power, the BJP shelved the Vajpayee’s policy on Kashmir and instead adopted the iron fist policy," Abdullah had said.

He had reminded the Modi government that Vajpayee had initiated talks both with Pakistan as well as with Hurriyat leaders and the Centre should do the same now as well.