Gool (Ramban), May 22: Reiterating demand of providing requisite facilities to further facilitate the cross LoC trade, patron of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, today hoped that some concrete steps would be taken in the coming Indo-Pak Home Secretary level talks to ensure hassle free cross LoC trade and travel.
 Addressing a public meeting at Gool, Sayeed stressed on the need of a credible banking facilities and proper communication system to harness the full potential of the trans-LoC trade. He said that opening of cross LoC trade was the most significant and historic Confidence Building Measure (CBM) which needed to be further facilitated in the larger interest of the peace and prosperity in this region.
 “I hope that Home Secretaries of India and Pakistan in their scheduled meeting on May 24 and 25 would take some bold steps to further facilitate the cross LoC trade and travel”, he said and observed that restrictions imposed on free movement of people and commodities have only deprived the region of the vast potential of economic activities that could have changed socio-economic conditions of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
 “Besides simplifying the cross LoC trade procedure, there should be free movement of people on both sides of LoC because cooperation on economic, social and cultural fronts is the only way to bring the people of the subcontinent together”, he observed and reiterated demand of his party to open all traditional routes to fully exploit potential of this region.
 Reiterating resolve of his party to accelerate the peace process, Mufti Sayeed said that aim of the PDP was to restore peace with dignity in the region and to develop Jammu and Kashmir as showcase of progress and development in the sub-continent. “PDP wants that Kashmir, which is bone of contention between India and Pakistan, should be converted into a bridge between two neighboring nations to normalize the relations”, he said and friendship between India and Pakistan was in the interests of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
 He reminded that people of the State were gripped with fear psychosis and there was a sense of insecurity when PDP was formed. “We not only provided security to the people but also restored dignity and honour of the common masses”, he said and recalled that in 2002 elections PDP had only 16 members but the party changed political discourse of the State and scripted a new chapter of peace and development in the history of Jammu and Kashmir.
 “2002 assembly election was turning point in the history of Jammu and Kashmir because confidence of the people in democracy and democratic institutions was restored after that elections”, he said and added that successive National Conference regimes have never allowed democracy to flourish in this State. He said that unlike other parts of the country, people of Jammu and Kashmir had never enjoyed taste of the democracy before 2002 because those who were at the helm of the affairs in the State had brazenly undermined democratic institutions. He especially mentioned the infamous 1987 rigged assembly elections which had completely shattered peoples’ faith in the democracy.
 The patron further added that successive NC regimes were responsible for the trust deficit between people of Jammu and Kashmir and rest of the country. “National Conference leadership has always tried to hoodwink both people of Jammu and Kashmir and residents of other parts of the country which ultimately created a trust deficit”, he said.
 Pointing towards backwardness and under-development of Gool area, the PDP asked the central government to complete the Ramban-Rajouri road via Gool-Mahore on war-footing because condition of the track was very bad. He said that adequate allocations of funds should be made for the completion of this road. He also demanded that adequate staff should be deployed at sub-district hospital Gool because locals have been suffering due to non availability of doctors.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 22 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 22 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
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