Situation in J&K not dependent on change of govt in Pak: Rahul Gandhi

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi today suggested that any change in the situation in Jammu and Kashmir was not dependent on change of government in Pakistan.

"Frankly, the way I look at it is that the real change has to come from within. We cannot be dependent on what is going on in the rest of the world," he said when asked if the change of government in Pakistan would see any progress in the resolution of the Kashmir problem.

Gandhi said that the Centre's focus was on finding ways to involve people of Kashmir in the progress of the country and ensuring job opportunities for the state's youth.

"Our focus is on how we can involve the people of Kashmir, how we can involve them in government at the local level, how can we ensure youngsters have jobs. Whether the leadership in Pakistan is good or bad is not in our hands," he said.

On the stalled dialogue process with separatists in Kashmir, the Congress leader said that the UPA government has, over the years, transformed the mood in Kashmir.

"There is massive progress in Kashmir. There is a progress in the sentiment of the people, there is progress in the connectivity (in) Kashmir, there is progress in tourism... We are going to ensure that people of Kashmir get the development they deserve," he said.