Time to jail advocates of talks with Pakistan: BJP leader Altaf Thakur

Srinagar: BJP leader Altaf Thakur on Thursday said time has come to put behind bars people who advocate holding dialogue with Pakistan on Jammu and Kashmir.

The BJP leader was reacting to the statement of National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, who said dialogue with Pakistan was necessary to end the bloodshed and establish peace in Jammu and Kashmir.

“I think time has come to put even those people in jails who advocate holding talks with Pakistan. It is these people who advance Pakistan’s cause here and support it,” Thakur told PTI after paying tributes to Colonel Manpreet Singh, Major Ashish Dhonchak and Deputy SP Humayun Bhat, who were killed in an encounter with terrorists in Anantnag district on Wednesday Thakur said India has held talks with Pakistan several times but the neighbouring country always played foul.

“We have held talks with Pakistan many times since 1947. (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee went to Lahore by bus but Pakistan is a country which will never give up its mischievous activities. Terrorism and talks cannot go on simultaneously,” he added.

The BJP Kashmir organised a function here to pay tributes to the three slain security force officers.