SRINAGAR, India, Sept 14 (AFP) - The chief minister of Indian-administered Kashmir Farooq Abdullah on Friday slammed Islamic fanatics for driving a wedge between Muslims and other world religions.
"Islam doesn't preach terrorism nor advocate it," Abdullah told a group of police officers in Muslim-majority Kashmir's summer capital Srinagar.
"These fanatic groups have isolated Muslims from the other religions in the world," he said referring to the September 11 terrorist strikes in United States.
Calling for strict action against those involved in the attacks on New York and Washington, Abdullah demanded sustained and united action against terrorism.
"We should all join hands to eradicate terrorism from the world. I am sure terrorism will be uprooted from the world and we will also play a role."
He said his administration was engaged in combating a decade-long Muslim insurgency in Kashmir but criticised the United States for impeding the efforts by imposing sanctions on India.
"When we tried to strengthen the hands of our troops against militancy, the US put sanctions on us," Abdullah said, referring to embargos placed on India after its nuclear tests in May 1998.
He charged Pakistan with providing "space and support" to Islamic militants' training camps in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and warned: "The day has come for Pakistan to reverse its policy of encouraging militancy."
Islamabad denies it is funding Islamic rebels operating in Kashmir, but provides diplomatic, moral and political support to the militant groups.
The insurgency has claimed at least 35,000 lives since it broke out in 1989.