Mufti hails PM's statement on JK, Line of Peace

Srinagar, July 16: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has welcomed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement that the strife-torn state could become a symbol of cooperation between India and Pakistan by changing the Line of Control (LoC) into a 'Line of Peace'.

In a statement here, he said the impact of confidence-building measures would largely depend on the political will to implement them in both spirit and form.

Hailing Dr Singh's assertion that the peace process with Pakistan would continue despite difficulties, the PDP patron said it was only through a sustainable dialogue that the two countries could build the necessary goodwill to tackle the complex and contentious issues between them in the interest of the region's peace and prosperity.

While both the countries had realised that the normalisation process was irreversible, many challenges, including an amicable settlement of the Kashmir issue, still lay ahead, he added.

Mr Sayeed said concrete steps needed to be taken to galvanise Jammu and Kashmir-specific confidence-building measures on either side of the LoC to speed up the peace process and reap its benefits.

Exuding confidence in the Prime Minister's genuine efforts of building peace and creating conditions for historic reconciliation in the region, he said the two countries must, with determination, jointly counter the threats having the potential of derailing the normalisation process.

The PDP leader said Jammu and Kashmir-specific CBMs, including free flow of ideas, goods, services and the people across the LoC, as enumerated by Dr Singh, would not only win India and Pakistan the goodwill in areas under their control, but also throw up new opportunities for the economic development of the region.

As emphasised by the Prime Minister, he said it had been the PDP's consistent opinion that the real political power in a democracy came from a ballot box and not the barrel of the gun.

''The people of Jammu and Kashmir have not only rejected the culture of violence, but reiterated their full faith in political institutions of the state and the country through their overwhelming participation in the democratic processes,'' the former union home minister asserted.

He said the people here had always responded positively to the initiatives aimed at improving the security situation and bringing stability to the state.

The PDP, Mr Sayeed said, had right from its inception advocated an end to violence and opted for process of dialogue and engagement for the peaceful resolution of the problems of Jammu and Kashmir.

He said a defining moment had arrived for the resolution of the problem in a more meaningful way by adding substance to the dialogue process and addressing the specifics.

''Speedy implementation of the recommendations of the four Working Groups and finalising the report of the fifth one on the Centre-State relations could be the most appropriate measure toward the resolution of the Kashmir problem,'' Mr Sayeed added.

Expressing confidence that coming days would witness a positive and spirited movement towards the resolution of problems, he said the people of Jammu and Kashmir wanted peace and prosperity and a historic opportunity was round the corner to make it happen.

UNI

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