Mirwaiz leaves for Pak, welcomes Amritsar-Nankana bus

Srinagar, Mar 24: Welcoming the Amritsar and Nankana Sahib bus service, Chairman of the Hurriyat Conference (Omar) Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq today (Mar 24, 2006) demanded more road connectivity between Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Speaking here before leaving for Pakistan today, Mirwaiz Omar said the bus service between Amritsar and Nankana Sahib would help the members of the Sikh community to visit their religious places in Pakistan.

''This was a welcome step as it will help the people of two countries to come more closer,'' he said.

Mirwaiz Omar is scheduled to attend the five-day World Social Forum Conference at Karachi from today.

He could not attend the Pugwash conference in Pakistan recently in which a number of leaders from mainstream political parties, including the National Conference, the Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party, the BJP and the Panthers Party were invited.

''India and Pakistan reopened two routes for the people of Jammu and Kashmir which is not enough, he said adding, that more road connectivity between the two parts of Kashmir is needed so that people, who were separated in 1947, could meet each other more frequently.

He said the people of the state are in favour of removing all the ''fabricated walls'' between the people living on both sides of the Line of Control.

Rejecting the idea of converting the Line of Control (LoC) as a permanent border, he said lasting peace in the sub-continent will remain a distant dream until the Kashmir issue is resolved.

''People of the state will never accept LoC as permanent border,'' he said.

''It was because of this line that people living on both sides of Kashmir after their separation from 1947 were not able to meet each other, he alleged.

Mirwaiz Omar said participation in the Karachi conference will provide him a chance to present the Kashmir issue before the participants.

''I will present the ground situation besides our point of view before the participants, he said.

UNI