Srinagar, May 18 (IANS): Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday said that the ongoing Lok Sabha elections should be fought over the issues of price rise and unemployment and not on the issue of “insignificant” Pakistan.

“A new trend has emerged to bring Pakistan into the elections, both at the national and local levels. Pakistan is at its weakest, in the last 75 years. An insignificant issue like Pakistan is being made into a significant one. India has bigger issues, such as price rise and unemployment,” Azad said.

The former Chief Minister expressed dismay over bringing Pakistan as an issue in the elections.

“There is a need to prioritise internal matters, such as inflation and unemployment, over external distractions,” Azad said.

He said that the Lok Sabha elections this time are completely different compared to previous ones.

“There is a lot of mudslinging happening. Every political party is trying to score brownie points which is not good for politics,” Azad said.

He said that when the political parties vie for supremacy then the essence of healthy political discourse is compromised by "excessive point-scoring".

Emphasising the need for constructive engagement, he stressed that political adversaries are not enemies but rather competitors in the democratic arena.

He also attacked the regional political parties over the revocation of Article 370.

“After the revocation of Article 370, what did the local parties do? No Kashmiri MP spoke up when Article 370 was revoked. Those labelling me as pro-BJP were part of the BJP in the past. The accusations hold no meaning,” the former Chief Minister said.

He said that despite the scenic beauty and favourable weather of J&K, there is a need to capitalise on these assets for economic development.