Farooq Abdullah asks Centre to speak to Pakistan if terrorism has to be abated

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh asserted that the disengagement process by India and China in eastern Ladakh has been 'completed' after nine rounds of diplomatic and military level talks between the two countries.

National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on Sunday requested the Central government to speak to Pakistan while underscoring that terrorism still exists.

Abdullah told the Centre to remember former prime minister Vajpayee's remarks who had said, 'friends can be changed but not neighbours.' (PTI)

"It is true that terrorism still exists. They are wrong when they say that it has ended. If we want to end terrorism, then we must speak to our neighbours. I remember Vajpayee's remark that friends can be changed but not neighbours," Abdullah told ANI.

"I appeal to them (Central government) to speak to them (Pakistan) to find a way as they spoke to China and they (PLA troops) started withdrawing (from LAC)," he added.

Earlier, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh asserted that the disengagement process by India and China in eastern Ladakh has been 'completed' after nine rounds of diplomatic and military level talks between the two countries.

20 Indian soldiers and unspecified numbers of Chinese soldiers were killed in the Galwan Valley clash in June last year. India and China are in a standoff in eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), following aggressive border skirmishes by the Chinese army.