No pressure from China to stop development work in border:Omar

Jammu (PTI) - Ruling out Chinese pressure to stop
development work along Sino-India border in Ladakh, north
Indian state Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah
Friday said government is doing whatever is necessary to
ensure such work does not become a hostage to diplomacy
between the two countries.
"Please understand that there is no Chinese pressure
(with regard to stopping of development work along Sino-India
border in Ladakh)", Omar told reporters on the sideline of a
function of laying of foundation stone of Rs the 113-crore new
Legislative Complex here.
The Chief Minister was replying to a volley of questions
about halting of development work by the state government
along Sino-India border in Ladakh and the letter written by
the Union Home Ministry not to carry out work without the
permission of the Defence Ministry.
The Chief Minister said "whatever necessary is to be done
to ensure that development does not become a hostage to any
sort of diplomatic activity".
"There are certain areas where, historically, we have
not been able to demarcate the actual border, as a result of
which from time to time certain issues arise which have to be
diplomatically addressed", Omar said.
"That having been said, there is a proper consultative
mechanism that is in place between the government of India and
the government of Peoples Republic of China", he said.
Replying to a query about the necessary measures
taken in this regard, Omar said "beyond that there is really
nothing that needs to be said on this".
In reply to another question about how long would the
process of demarcation of boundaries take place, he said "it
is an ongoing process. It is not a process that is going to
suddenly come to a conclusion".
The Chief Minister said "please understand it takes a
long time to settle the border disputes".