Srinagar, March 4 -- Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Monday that India and Pakistan came closer to resolving the Kashmir issue during the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government and he is not expecting a return to the situation in his lifetime.

During obituary references to Singh and four other former legislators on the first day of the Budget Session of the J&K Assembly which started here, Abdullah lavished praise on Singh and said he practically initiated measures for the return of displaced Kashmiri Pandits and his working groups are still relevant.

The Assembly observed a two-minute silence to pay tributes to former prime minister Manmohan Singh, former minister Syed Ghulam Hussain Geelani, former Rajya Sabha MP Sh...