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The demilitarisation of the Siachen should not be treated separately from the Kashmir dispute, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah advised the Governments of India and Pakistan here on Thursday. Speaking to reporters, Abdullah said that Pakistan was under pressure to find a solution for the Siachen, glacier, but other issues of dispute should not be left out as part of the comprehensive dialogue process. “Why is Siachen being treated separately? From one point, our neighbours ( Pakistan ) talk of finding a solution to the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, Siachen is also a part of Jammu and Kashmir , then why is it being treated separately? Why not solve the whole Jammu and Kashmir dispute?” Abdullah said. He tried to draw the attention of the governments towards issues like Sir Creek, while reminding that in a comprehensive dialogue process, all the issues must be discussed. “Why only Siachen, there are other issues like Sir Creek, peace in Jammu and Kashmir, trade and so on. Combined efforts of both countries will lead to a solution. This is a comprehensive dialogue and in it you cannot focus on every issue separately,” he said. Talking about the Amarnath Rath Yatra, Abdullah said that due to hostile weather, the clearing of snow from the route was yet to be completed. He, however, ensured that the state government was making all efforts to meet the deadline. “The process of clearing the snow is still going on. The weather this year has not been very supportive. Every effort is being made to clear the snow and keep on schedule with the announced date for the pilgrimage to start,” Abdullah added. The annual pilgrimage commences on June 25 every year and concludes on the festival of Raksha Bandhan.

Siachen should not be isolated from Kashmir dispute: Omar Abdullah