NEW DELHI: After threatening to boycott the J&K panchayat elections, National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on Saturday warned the Centre if it doesn't clear its stand on Article 35A and 370, his party will not participate in the Lok Sabha and assembly polls as well, reported news agency ANI."We will not only boycott Panchayat elections but also Lok Sabha & Assembly elections if the Centre doesn't clear its stand on Article 35A and Article 370 ," Abdullah said.In September this year, the NC leader had announced that his party will not be a participant in the local body and panchayat election in the state unless effective steps are taken by the Centre to protect Article 35A."The core group (of NC) unanimously decided that the National Conference will not participate in these elections unless and until the government of India and the state government clarify their positions in this regard and take effective steps for protection of Article 35A in and outside the courts," Abdullah had said.Abdullah said the decision of the state administration to hold urban local body polls and panchayat elections were taken in a "hurried manner" and without taking into consideration the prevailing situation "created by the powers that be by unnecessarily fiddling with Article 35-A".Earlier, the state government had announced the schedule for holding elections to local bodies and panchayats in the state. While the urban local body polls are slated for the first week of October, the Panchayat elections are scheduled to be held in November-December this year.Today, while speaking to reporters, Abdullah also addressed the issue of strained ties with Pakistan. He said that people with vested interests on both sides of the India-Pakistan border are trying to create a rift between the two countries."Manner in which media targeted Sidhu shows there are elements which don't want India-Pakistan relations to improve. There's vested interest, both in India and Pakistan, which don't want peace in both countries. But for people of J&K, India-Pakistan friendship is essential," he said.Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu had faced backlash after he attended Imran Khan's swearing-in ceremony as the 22nd Prime Minister of Pakistan. During the ceremony, Sidhu’s gesture of hugging Pakistan's army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa had not only irked his opponents, but also members of his party.Abdullah slammed the critics of Sidhu's visit to Pakistan, saying that even BJP leader and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whom he referred to as an RSS leader, had visited Pakistan."India accepts Pakistan as a nation and wants to strike a friendship with them...If we're friends with our neighbour, both of us will prosper. I hope PM (Narendra Modi) thinks about it and works for it," he said.Abdullah also pointed on the need to preserve the communal harmony of the nation and said that Indians need to respect all religions."No Muslim has ever told a Hindu or Christian to change the way they practice religion, but when they tell us not to offer Namaz in a particular way or stop Azaan, they want to change Gandhi's India," he added.