Srinagar: National Conference (NC) leader Dr Farooq Abdullah said that it was his party's mistake to not participate in the Panchayat elections and that he regretted it. He was attending the Parliamentary Outreach Program for the Empowerment of Panchayati Raj Institutions of Jammu and Kashmir held in Srinagar on Tuesday.

Speaking to news agency ANI after the programme, Farooq Abdullah said that his party will participate in the next elections.

"Our party will not only participate in the elections but it will also win. If they conduct fair elections, we will surely win and National Conference will emerge as the largest party," he said.

"Covid-19 brought a lot of destruction. It stopped trade. Also, the situation in our neighboring nations is also not good. There is Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, how are their conditions right now? If any of our neighbors say that his condition is normal, then it is not so," he told the news agency about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on India and its neighbouring countries.

On the issue of security of the valley, he said, "The issue of security needs attention. If Panchayat, District Development Council (DDC) members want to work and progress, then their security is extremely important. Five workers from BJP were killed; one from the Apna Party was killed. God knows what will happen later."

On the impact of the Taliban's arrival in Afghanistan on Kashmir, he said, "Taliban's influence will be felt. Where it will fall, how much will fall on America, how much will fall on Russia, how much will fall on China, I do not know. And we have to see how much impact it will have."

On August 15, the Taliban entered the Presidential Palace in Kabul and declared its victory over the government after months of violence.

Source: NDTV

BDST: 2013 HRS, SEP 02, 2021
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