On J-K, “He tried to address the problem with the outside country (Pakistan). He did not make this initiative but inherited it as the start was made by Vajpayee and (then Pakistan president Gen Pervez) Musharraf. He would have stopped the initiative after taking over as the prime minister (in 2004), but he was well aware that the initiative taken by Vajpayee is a big responsibility to carry forward, the chief minister said.Singh made sincere efforts despite the deteriorating situation, he said, in an apparent reference to terror incidents.May I say that both the countries have come closer to resolving this (Kashmir) problem during that period, and I do not see a return to the situation in my lifetime, Abdullah said.He said when the situation deteriorated in 2010, Singh tried to heal the wounds by setting up working groups, whether related to politics or meant to improve governance, and they are still relevant.Singh had constituted five working groups on Jammu and Kashmir to grab the initiative for ushering in a phase of development by creating conditions of permanent peace in the state.Referring to displaced Kashmiri Pandits, Abdullah said everyone is talking about the community but practical steps for their welfare were taken by the Singh-led government.He introduced job reservation for the community in Kashmir and we persuaded them. There was no such effort from anyone else. He also provided relief to Pandits by setting up Jagti township in Jammu for the community members who were living in tents,” he said.Abdullah said the Lt Governor talked about improved infrastructure of the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.He said it was Singh who gifted this four-lane project to J-K.The chief minister also spoke about the railway project to connect Kashmir with the rest of the country and said, We are waiting for the Prime Minister to inaugurate the service, and I hope this will happen within days.Abdullah said he had accompanied the former prime minister to inaugurate the Banihal section of the rail link.Work on the Chenab bridge, the highest railway bridge in the world, started during his time but he, unfortunately, is not among us today to travel on the bridge. At least, he will have the satisfaction that the work started by him was completed by the present dispensation, Abdullah said.He said Singh was the most misunderstood leader and was right in saying that history would judge him more kindly.
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