Poonch, Apr 18: President of Peoples Democratic Party Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday   said complete operationalization of cross LOC routes was must for improving relations between India and Pakistan.  
 Addressing a public meeting here she said the peace process started in 2003 could sustain only because it was driven by a strong sentiment for resolution conveyed by the people of Jammu & Kashmir. “Complete operationalization of cross LoC routes will add to the  credibility, purpose and sustenance of the efforts being put by India and Pakistan to normalize the relations,” she added. 
 She said though the foreign ministers of the two countries had agreed a year back to expand the scope of trade and travel  across the LOC  it was disturbing that no progress had been made on these decisions.
  She said full economic potential of different regions of JK can be realized  by lifting a siege around the state and carrying forward the process that was started by the PDP in 2002 and demanded that the facility of travel across LOC be extended to all the citizens of the state irrespective of the divided nature of families.
 She said more routes need to be opened, frequency of bus service increased, hassles removed in trade and travel and banking and communication facilities provided for development of full trade relations.
 Mehbooba said the seeds for the present bonhomie between India and Pakistan were sown with the new discourse and idiom introduced by the PDP to which the people of the state had responded positively. “For decades NC had been advocating war between two countries to solve Kashmir problem, but we replaced that war mongering by our plea for better relations, trade, travel and joint ventures”, she said and recalled how Prime Minister Vajpayee had been able to strike the right chord with the people of the state on seeing their urge for a peaceful resolution through civilized means,” she added.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:00:00 IST