| News Details |
| PDP led peace agenda helping Indo Pak reconciliation:Mehbooba | | “Focus needed on LOC trade and travel” | 
Poonch/Jammu, April 18 (Scoop News) - Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has said complete operationalisation of cross LOC routes alone can add credibility , purpose and sustenence to the Indo Pak efforts at improving relations between the two conutries.
Addressing a public meeting here today she said the peace process started in 2003 could sustain only because it was driven by a strong sentiment for resolution conveyed by the people of Jammu & Kashmir. Senior Leaders Murtaza Ah Khan MLC, Hussain Ali Wafa, Ab Hameed Manhas, Shah Mohd Tantrey,Imtiyaz Ah Bandey, Ch Lal Hussain Mushtaq, Shamim Ganai, Reyaz Atish, Tanveer Dar, Shamim Dar , Gurmeet Singh Raja and Shahzad khan were also present and spoke on this occasion.
She said though the foreign ministers of the two countries had agreed a year back to expand the scope of trade and travel across the LOC it was disturbing that no progress had been made on these decisions inspite of a welcome change of pace in improvement of relations between the two countries. She said full economic potential of different regions of J&K can be realised by lifting a seige arround the state and carrying forward the process that was started by the PDP in 2002 and demanded that the facility of travel across LOC be extended to all the citizens of the state irrespective of the divided nature of families. She said more routes need to be opened, frequency of bus service increased, hassles removed in trade and travel and banking and communication facilities provided for development of full trade relations.
Mehbooba said the seeds for the present bon homie between India and Pakistan were sown with the new discourse and idiom introduced by the PDP to which the people of the state had responded positively. “For decades NC had been advocating war between two countries to solve Kashmir problem, but we replaced that war mongering by our plea for better relations, trade, travel and joint ventures”, she said and recalled how Prime Minister Vajpayee had been able to strike the right chord with the people of the state on seeing their urge for a peaceful resolution through civilized means .
Mehbooba said even internally the NC dispensation had brutalized the state below human levels. The then Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah would proudly say that he had no space in jails and therefore his forces were given licence to eliminate any body the government was uncomfortable with. Security and safety of life had become primary consideration for the residents of the state, but a different approach and idiom and a policy shift by the PDP led government brought about a change of atmosphere within the state. This positive change also impacted the entire sub continent as a result of which we are witnessing developments between India and Pakistan which were inconceivable at any stage during the past six decades of our post independence history.
Regretting that the return of NC to power though in alliance with congress had once again brought the state into trouble Mehbooba said a redeeming feature was that an atmosphere of hope was created that had survived the change. “Previously people would plead for security of life but now in every area and region of the state they have aspirations for growth, development and modern amenites”, she said, even as the present government has failed to respond to these requirements.
The PDP president said Poonch and Rajouri had to a great extent been brought out of isolation as a result of the opening of Poonch Rawalakote road and construction of the Mughal Road. She said the area which in the after math of the partition had been reduced to a dead end is now enjoying its status as a vibrant part of the society on either side of the Pirpanjal. She said even though many governments had toyed with the idea of constructing the road between Kashmir valley and Poonch Rajouri, the plans had failed for one reason or the other and it was only Mufti Mohammed Sayeed whose courage and vision could make it possible. She said connectivity between various regions is an important element of the vision that PDP has presented. “We want all weather roads between Ladakh and Kashmir, Kashmir and Jammu through Doda and Poonch Rajouri alignments as well so that the atmosphere of mistrust and other differences are neutralized and the state grows as one homogenious entity while retaining its precious diversity of cultures” she said.
Mehbooba expressed her dismay at the neglect of Poonch area by the present government. She said it was regrettable that there was no headway in the progress of institutions initiated by PDP like the campus of Jammu University, degree college and many tourism projects.
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