National Conference Vice-President Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said that granting autonomy is the only practical solution to the decades-old problem of Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing a meeting of party functionaries in Srinagar, Omar said that the situation in the valley is turning grave day-by-day.

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“Every day, we hear news about killings, encounters, crackdowns, CASO’s across the state. South was already boiling but now even Srinagar is witnessing massive gunfights, crackdowns. It seems that the government has lost its writ over the situation in Kashmir,” he said.

He maintained that autonomy affords a pragmatic way out. “It is high time for the government of India to implement the resolution of autonomy. It is the only pragmatic solution to the age old problem. J&K is a unique state and needs special dispensation in terms of regional autonomy to satisfy the needs of the state,” he said.

Omar said that the people in the state are suffering due to non-governance, development deficit, and lack of accountability. “The situation on ground is mess and the security scenario has deteriorated. The youth of Kashmir are at the receiving end of all this. Every day innocent civilians come in the line of fire. What happened in Kulgam where 7 civilins were killed is a grim reminder of how bad the situation is. What is adding salt to the situation is the laid-back attitude of central government,” he said.

Omar said that National Conference will continue to hold aloof the torch of amity and brotherhood in the state. “Our state is a melting pot of different cultures and ethnicity, with a unique socio-political baggage. Our party has and will resist any attempt aimed to fiddle with states’ special status or dividing the state on communal lines.”

Expressing grief over killing of civilians during past few days, particularly in Kulgam, he said, “Such incidents do not augment well for the peace to thrive in Kashmir.”