Sinha hails separatists' viewpoint on Gun

Jammu, Jan 25 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Governor Lt Gen (Retd) S K Sinha today welcomed the realisation dawning on separatists about the futility of gun in resolving the long-pending issues.

Greeting people on 58th Republic Day, Lt Gen Sinha said dialogue at various levels alone can help in solving the Kashmir issue and herald a lasting peace in the sub-continent.

The Governor also noted with satisfaction the progress registered in Indo-Pak peace process with flexibility shown by the both sides in their stated stands.

''In the interest of peace and as a goodwill gesture, India has been discussing Kashmir without insisting on vacation of illegally occupied areas and stopping cross border terrorism by Pakistan first.

'Similarly, President General Pervez Musharraf is also trying to be practical by accepting that UN resolutions on Kashmir are irrelevant,'' he said.

The Governor also appreciated Pakistan President's recent peace initiatives, including the four-point formula. ''He has given up claim over Kashmir and is not insisting on it being a core issue to be resolved first before holding talks on other issues.'' Lt Gen Sinha, however, a said joint mechanism to promote trade, tourism and cultural exchanges besides environment control, disaster management could certainly be considered.

Indian view point on Kashmir, he said, is being appreciated internationally.

On demilitarisation, the Governor reiterated that it could be considered only after cessation of cross border terrorism and violence in the state.

He said Islamabad would have to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) first and stop assisting militants.

On self-rule, the Governor said: ''India is a vibrant and most flourishing democracy in the third world... Kashmir is enjoying more self-rule than any other state in the country.'' Democracy and self-rule are synonymous, he added.

The state enjoys economic and political self-rule in a big measure, he said while referring to Article 370, which preserves the demographic identity of the state.

Emphasising that financial autonomy is as important as political autonomy, the Governor said self-rule slogan should not be used for minimising political and administrative links with the Centre and maximising flow of funds from the centre to the state.

Jammu and Kashmir is the only state in the country which has an octroi post at the inter-state border. The tax levied at the entry point of Lakhnapur yield Rs 1,000 crore annually to the state exchequer, he said, adding, ''We will welcome introduction of self-rule in PoK and Northern Areas where it is desperately needed.'' MORE UNI