Make procedure for travelling to across the bordereasier: PDP

Srinagar, June 22 (UNI) The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a partner in the Congress led coalition government in the Jammu and Kashmir, hailed the opening of Poonch-Rawlakote road but reiterated its demand to simplify procedure for travel.

A spokesman of the PDP said the opening of the road was yet another milestone and significant Jammu and Kashmir Centric Confidence Building Measure (CBM) after the opening of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Jehlum Valley road.

He said that the party reiterated its stand to make freedom of movement across Line of Control (LoC) easier, more comprehensive and meaningful, instead of making it just a symbolic CBM.

Appreciating the efforts of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in taking keen interest for addressing wishes and urges of the people of the state who yearned for peace with dignity, the spokesman said that the central government should also consider the opening of other traditional routes like Kargil-Skardu and Suchetghar-Sialkot.

''The purpose of opening of the roads would serve its purpose only when these routes are used for trade links besides simplifying the procedure for people to people contact and these routes should not only be confined for divided families,'' he said, adding that the launch of trade links on these routes would also provide a golden opportunity to start the South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) zone on an experimental basis.

UNI BAS VD KP1505