Srinagar

Farooq Abdullah on Friday termed as “unfortunate” the calls within Pakistan to award a Nobel Peace Prize to its leadership for efforts linked to US-Iran peace talks, asserting that service to humanity should remain the primary goal.

The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference president was responding to demands in Pakistan for the Nobel Peace Prize for Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Army Chief Asim Munir and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.

“One doesn’t work for the Nobel Prize, one works for humanity. Those who demand the Nobel Prize—it is unfortunate. There is a better cause than the Nobel Prize, the cause of humanity,” Abdullah told reporters after offering prayers at the Hazratbal Shrine.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister emphasised that wars primarily harm humanity and stressed the need for lasting peace.

“Humanity suffers due to wars, and it is humanity that must be saved,” he said, expressing hope that ongoing conflicts would come to an end.

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Welcoming the recent pause in hostilities, Abdullah said people should be grateful for any step towards peace. “May the wars stop totally and there be peace in the world so that we all can benefit from that,” he added.