Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday condemned the attack on senior Hurriyat Conference (moderate) leader Fazal Haq Qureshi as an attempt at derailing the peace process in Jammu and Kashmir.
Noting that Mr. Qureshi was a leader who wanted a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue, Mr. Abdullah told a television channel that the attack was the handiwork of the enemies of peace. “These are the forces in the hardline camp which are against peace and had to gain.”
Mr. Abdullah said the government had been receiving inputs about threats to moderate separatists, but there was no concrete information on an immediate threat to Mr. Qureshi. “We offered him security more than once, but he refused.”
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National Conference president and Union Minister Farooq Abdullah termed the attack a blow to the dialogue process. “Those who do not want peace have started targeting such people who are interested in peace.”
Senior CPI(M) leader Mohammed Yusuf Tarigami said the attack was carried out by frustrated people who did not want Kashmiris to live in peace.