Trust people of J

Anantnag, May 7 (UNI) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today urged the Centre to take necessary measures to make peace with the people of Jammu and Kashmir by trusting them and addressing their just and genuine political and economic concerns.

He said the fast-changing ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir demanded such measures.

''With the improvement in the situation, New Delhi will have to initiate a tangible confidence building process within the state that would make a difference to the lives of the people especially in the militancy-hit areas,'' Mr Sayeed told a public meeting at Kuthar, Shangus in Anantnag district.

The former Chief Minister said nobody denied the fact that the security situation in the state was fast improving and the people now want to live in peace, but certainly with dignity.

''Interference of the security apparatus in the day-to-day lives of the common people must now slowly diminish and the civil society institutions should be entrusted with the responsibility of consolidating the normalisation process,'' he added.

Mr Sayeed said the fact that the people were the ultimate power in a democratic set-up has to be recognised to allow the democratic institutions and processes to fully flourish in the state as was the case in other parts of the country.

The underlying belief of the PDP government's healing touch policy was to transform the ground situation through the people's involvement and replacing the dependence on the security forces with greater confidence in the public institutions, he added.

The former Union Home Minister said even with a meager number of 16 legislators, the PDP carried forward its agenda with great resolve and gave a new reconciliatory and progressing direction to the Kashmir resolution process.

''My party and my government, not only, gave voice to the political concerns and aspirations of the people, but also ensured relief to them both on the security and the development fronts.'' While striving for a peaceful and prosperous future for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, he said the PDP also laid strong foundations for bringing political and economic stability to the state and the region.

''The greatest satisfaction for the PDP today is that, both within and outside the state, the people acknowledge the discernible difference the party's policies have made to bring about a change in the situation in Jammu and Kashmir,'' Mr Sayeed added.

He said the PDP guided the people through the dark clouds of uncertainty toward the radiance of peace and prosperity.

The PDP leader emphasised that the vexed issue was approaching ultimate settlement as India and Pakistan have realised that the path to the region's peace and economic progress passes only through Jammu and Kashmir.

''This realisation is forcing both the countries to work for the amicable resolution of the protracted problem that is otherwise making them to pay huge economic costs,'' he added.

Mr Sayeed said the people of Jammu and Kashmir became the worst victims of the region's hostility and had to bear enormous human and economic costs for the troubles not of their own making.

''With the settlement of the problems between India and Pakistan, Kashmir would regain its traditional place as a hub of economic activity in the region and its future generations would enormously benefit from economic liberalisation and globalisation, unfortunately yet to cross the state's boundaries,'' he added.

UNI