Tuesday, September 20 2005 15:47 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Leaders from both sides of the Kashmir valley gathered in New Delhi today (Sept 20, 2005) to discuss possible ways for resolving the Kashmir issue with former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah mincing no words in asking the PoK leaders to stop the 'destruction' being caused in the state.

The two-day conference, 'Heart to Heart', being organized by Panthers' Party, brought leaders and intellectuals from PoK and Jammu and Kashmir together on one platform for the first time in the national capital.

The occupied Kashmir delegation was led by senior leader Sardar Abdul Qayyum.

After the opening remarks by Panthers' Party chief Bhim Singh, Abdullah started by saying that Pakistan considered him as its 'enemy number one'.

"This is an open secret that Pakistan has always considered me as its enemy number one. But I am only a friend of Kashmiris. Neither India not Pakistan," he said.

"You have targeted our schools, hospitals and innocent people. The infrastructure that was built over 40 years has been ruined by the militants," Abdullah told the PoK leaders.

The former Chief Minister asked the PoK leaders to look into the status of Muslims in their part and in Jammu and Kashmir.

"You have burnt down all Ahmedi sect mosques, whereas we have been preserving it," he said.

"We love Kashmir for its secular fabric and communal harmony," an emotional Abdullah said while accusing New Delhi and Islamabad of playing with the sentiments of the people of Kashmir.

The former state Chief Minister expressed hope that the conference would arrive at a solution and said, "The best possible solution in my view is soft-border between two parts of the state without altering the status quo."

"The part in India will remain with India and that with Pakistan will remain. But the movement along the borders will be free for people," he said.

In his opening remarks, senior most PoK leader Qayyum suggested to participants that it was not necessary to give 'extra hype' to the event.

He said people with vested interests who want that the Kashmir flames should keep burning, should be kept off. "There are people with vested interests in both countries. We should keep them off and try and find peaceful means among ourselves," he said.