Pak JIT visit will benefit India or not, only time will tell: Omar Abdullah

Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said only time will tell whether the visit of Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to Pathankot will benefit India or not, but expected Pakistan to take steps to control terrorism.

"There will be a controversy (on the Pak's JIT visit) because unfortunately BJP did the same (opposed normalization of ties with Pakistan) during its time (in opposition) and today they are bearing the brunt.

"Only time will tell whether the team from Pakistan visiting Pathankot will benefit us or not, but now that they have come, we expect it will benefit us in a way that those responsible for the attack would be arrested and given harsh punishment," Omar said.

The former chief minister however, said "the way Pakistani team came for probing the Pathankot attack and was allowed, Indian team should be allowed to (investigate) Mumbai and other such attacks (in Pakistan)".

He was talking to reporters at National Conference (NC) headquarters after some political activists joined the party. Omar said denounced the Lahore terror blast and expressed hope that the neighbouring country would take steps to "control the situation".

At least 74 people including 29 children were killed in the Taliban suicide bombing at a park during Easter celebration in Lahore on Sunday.

"What happened in Lahore is regretful. Since 25-26 years, we ourselves have been fighting this kind of situation. Thousands of people have sacrificed their lives. We understand that what befalls a family when such things happen.

"We are hopeful than Pakistan government will take steps to control the situation and get the whole sub-continent and not just the country itself, rid of terrorism," he said.

The NC working president also batted for establishing a joint Truth and Reconciliation Commission by India and Pakistan to start a process of healing wounds of the people of Kashmir.

"I have repeatedly said that the (Kashmir) problem cannot be solved by taking one step at a time. We will have to open the record of the last 25-26 years here. I have demanded this before as well that if Pakistan and India can make a team by coming together, then a Truth and Reconciliation Commission should be established for Jammu and Kashmir by both the countries so that we start to apply balm on the wounds inflicted during the last 25-26 years," he said.

Omar said it was a "good thing" that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has accepted that no one can be pressurised to say 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'.

"I have been saying that it is not necessary. I have said that no one can force me to say Bharat Mata Ki Jai. If I want to say it, I will say it, if I do not want to say it, then I would not. And I will never say it at someone's behest. If someone tries to compel me to say it, then I will refuse it. I have no objection to the words, but I would not be forced to utter a slogan like Bharat Mata Ki Jai or Hindustan Zindabad or any such slogan. Now, if Mohan Bhagwat has accepted that, it is a good thing," he said.

Omar also took a dig at PDP president and Chief Minister -designate Mehbooba Mufti saying her party and the alliance partner BJP were waiting for an auspicious time for the swearing-in ceremony of the new government.

"Government is not being formed because they are waiting for an auspicious time. Once an auspicious time is there, Mehbooba will take oath," he said.

He said his party would seek answers from Mehbooba on what was given to the state by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that she felt satisfied.

"They made us to wait for the last two and a half months saying they will get CBMs from Delhi. Now, no one is talking about those CBMs. Only Mehbooba is saying that she is satisfied. We want to know what did the Prime Minister gave this state that she feels satisfied," Omar said.

The NC leader said, "Let her take oath and call an assembly session soon, we will raise questions on these issues inside the assembly and seek answers from her, if she is not willing to talk outside the assembly".