'Curbing militancy can only push forward peace process'

Jammu, Oct 30 (UNI) Former Jammu and Kashmir BJP unit chief Nirmal Singh today said controlling militancy in the state was the only solution to push forward the ongoing peace process between India and Pakistan.

Addressing a press conference here, he said, ''Unless militancy is checked and controlled, there is no use of holding dialogues and heading with the peace process between India and Pakistan.'' Mr Singh, who returned here after attending the 57th annual Pugwash Conference in Italy from October 22 to 26, said he had already suggested that joint mechanism between both the countries was the only way to tackle terrorism.

He said, besides delegates from Kashmir including Sajjad Lone and Iftekar Ansari, Pakistani delegates at the conference admitted that terrorism was posing as a major threat for the South Asian countries and efforts should be to restrain it in all possible manner.

UNI