Jaishankar visiting Pakistan ‘good step’, says Farooq Abdullah

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visiting Pakistan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting is a “good step” and hoped that the ties between the two countries will improve.

India on Friday announced that Jaishankar will travel to Pakistan to attend a conclave of the SCO. Pakistan is hosting the SCO Council of Heads of Government (CHG) meeting on October 15 and 16.

It will be for the first time in nearly nine years that India’s external affairs minister will travel to Pakistan even as the ties between the two neighbours remain frosty over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

“Jaishankar ji is going to Pakistan for an SCO meeting. It’s a very good step. I hope both countries think along the lines of friendship,” Abdullah said.

Abdullah said he would like to remind Jaishankar that former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had once said, “Friends can be changed, borders cannot be changed”.

“Either we live in a friendly environment and ensure peace and prosperity in both the countries or live in animosity and create a tragedy for both countries. I hope both the countries try to understand each other and work for the betterment of people,” he said.

On the flare-up in the Middle East, Abdullah said it was “heartbreaking”.

“Innocent people are being killed, be it in Lebanon, Gaza, Syria, Iran or Israel, innocents are dying. The world should wake up now. If this conflict spreads to other parts, the economic condition of the world will deteriorate. Our dream of a better nation, our dream of bringing peace will be crushed,” he added.

Asked about India allegedly supplying weapons to Israel, the former Union minister said, “If it’s true, it’s very sad.” “It means they are promoting hate that exists there and I think that will destroy us. In the long run, we will pay a heavy price for such a thing,” he said.