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Can't deal administratively with Kashmir's political problem: Omar

New Delhi, Aug 20

After leading a delegation of opposition MLAs of Jammu and Kashmir to meet President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the violence-hit state is faced with a political problem that can't be handled administratively.

"Jammu and Kashmir is a political problem. It cannot be handled administratively," Omar told reporters after the meeting with the President

The National Conference leader said the situation that went out of control after the July 8 killing of Hizbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani was "due to our own mistakes".

Earlier, Omar led the Jammu and Kashmir MLAs delegation to the President and apprised him of the situation prevailing in the Valley, where curfew has been imposed for the last 43 days. The delegation also submitted a memorandum to the President.

"Pakistan has been trying to destabilise peace in the Valley for the last 25 years. But if you ask me if the situation created after Wani's killing was due to Pakistan, I will have to say 'no'," the NC leader said. 

He said Pakistan undoubtedly tried to fuel the situation and succeeded too to some extant. "But the immediate turmoil was due to our own mistakes." 

Omar said it is for the first time that the initiatives that should have been taken by the government are being taken by the opposition. 

The death toll in violence in the Kashmir Valley has risen to 67, triggered a day after the July 8 killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani.