Shun violence, join dialogue process, J

Srinagar, Jan 2 (UNI) Urging militants to shun the path of violence and join the dialogue process to resolve all issues amicably, Jammu and Kashmir Finance minister Tariq Hameed Karra said time had come for the youth to come forward and become key agents of peace and development by taking charge of the democratic and civil society institutions.

Addressing a public meeting at Sangam in the down town city today, Mr Karra, a senior leader of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said agenda of political empowerment, economic emancipation and social uplift of the State's people could be fully realised only through a sustained and credible democratic process with participatory public involvement.

'' We can achieve the objective of political empowerment and economic emancipation only when there is peace and stability in the State,'' he said and added the time has come for the young population to come forward and become key agents for peace and development by taking charge of the democratic and civil society institutions.

He urged the gun-wielding youth to shun the path of violence and join the dialogue process for peaceful resolution of the State's problems.

Mr Karra said there was no doubt that political issues plaguing Jammu and Kashmir had not only persecuted its people politically, but had certainly hampered its socio-economic development.

But, he said, it was also a fact that violence and blood-shed had only complicated the miseries of the people adding that PDP strongly subscribe to a participatory political process in which all the parties and points of view contribute in shaping a new future for Jammu and Kashmir and its people.

''PDP's agenda is essentially about neutralising the historical excesses with Jammu and Kashmir that have been compounded by its natural and political geography,'' he said.

Mr Karra emphasised that PDP's campaign on opening up of all the traditional cross-LoC routes in Jammu and Kashmir stems from the realisation of the State's past as a version of today's Free Trade Zone.

''Our vision is primarily founded on the liberty of our people to travel freely in the region to build economic fortunes for not only themselves but the whole State as well,'' he said and added that PDP was persistently working towards realising the dream of a politically stable and economically vibrant Jammu and Kashmir with a new and modern economic and financial structure as its backbone.

The Finance minister said given the policies and programmes of the Coalition Government, the State was already on the path of strong economic performance on various parameters such as Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), a huge rise in public expenditure and progressive reform initiatives.

Mr Karra said the dark era of exploitative politics was now over in Jammu and Kashmir and people no longer get influenced by emotional slogans.

UNI BAS SP KP1820