Omar Abdullah, former minister of state for external affairs and president of the National Conference, has said that there has been no change in the law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir after Mufti Mohammad Sayeed's government took over last year.
Speaking to rediff.com, Omar said that if there is any change it is for the worse and not for good.
"On the one hand the government claims that there has been decline in the infiltration from across the border. But on the other hand the number of terrorist strikes has gone up substantially. If there has been a decline of 15 per cent in the number of infiltrators sneaking across, there has been 30 per cent decline in the operations against terrorists and action taken by the security forces," he said.
He argued that Mufti's claims about the decline in violence is based on false assumptions.
Omar Abdullah did not attach much significance to the forthcoming visit of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Kashmir on April 18 and 19.
"Developmental works are okay. But the people of the state need a respite from the terrorist violence and that is not happening," he added.
He claimed that the union government lacked political will to carry out pre-emptive strikes against the terrorist camps that are operating in Pakistan.
"After December 13,2001 attack on the Parliament we moved our forces to the border. We kept them there for ten months and brought them back without taking any action against Pakistan. We lack political will to act firmly," he said.
He emphasised that the solution to Jammu and Kashmir problem would eventually emerge only through talks. "There is a change in the global scene and we must change our attitude as well," he said.