Pakistan cannot dictate terms to India: Omar

Asserting that Pakistan cannot dictate terms to India for resuming bilateral dialogue, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said Islamabad must address India's concerns about taking concrete action against those behind the Mumbai attacks.

"I think it is very important that we realise that nobody can dictate terms, and dialogue will take place when conducive conditions are established for it," Abdullah said while reacting to queries from media persons after attending the passing out parade of probationary Deputy Superintendents of Police and Non-gazetted Officers at Sher-i-Kashmir Police Academy in Udhampur, about 65-km from Jammu.

Abdullah said he was a votary of dialogue between India and Pakistan and a firm believer that the issue of Jammu and Kashmir cannot be resolved without a sustained dialogue between the two neighbouring countries.

"I also believe that Pakistan has to recognise India's concerns and address them," he said. In reply to another question regarding unrest in the Valley over the mysterious deaths of two women in Shopian, Abdullah alleged the Hurriyat Conference and the People's Democratic Party were taking advantage of these tragedies.

The government has responded swiftly and a judicial probe has been ordered under the chairmanship of Justice (retd) Muzaffar Jan to enquire into the cause of their deaths, Abdullah said.

Asked why the government did not entrust the responsibility of conducting the enquiry into the incident by a sitting judge of Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Abdullah said there was no difference between a sitting and a retired judge and no question of a weak inquiry into the Shopian incident.

The chief minister said that he has promised that no effort would be spared to find the truth and on the basis of the report that Justice Jan submits, action will be taken by the government.

Responding to the issue of not imposing National Security Act on Hurriyat leaders, Abdullah said, "We have our own laws to tackle such situation and nobody would be spared for creating disturbances."

To another query regarding the situation in Kashmir, the chief minister said that Srinagar was not the entire Jammu and Kashmir and only a handful of towns were tense for last few days.

"I hope it will settle down after today," he added. Abdullah said that the recent strikes in Srinagar would not hamper the Amarnath Yatra as only a "handful of people with their vested interests" were creating disturbances.

"But they would not be allowed to succeed in their ill motivated designs," he said and assured that the yatra would take place smoothly as per schedule.