Cross-LoC trade suspended for short-term gains: Mirwaiz

The chairman of Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Friday expressed serious concern over the government of India’s decision to suspend cross-LoC trade with Pakistan via Jammu and Kashmir, stating that “whatever little good was achieved” in the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure was being “done away with”.

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs Thursday orderedsuspension of cross-Line of Control trade via Salamabad and Chakan-da-Bagh inJammu and Kashmir following reports of alleged misuse of the trade routes byPakistan-based elements for illegal inflow of narcotics, weapons and currency,according to officials.

   

Addressing a Friday gathering at Jamia Masjid here, Mirwaiz,while commenting on the suspension of LoC trade, said it’s extremelyunfortunate that instead of enhancing the people-to-people contact andimproving the trade and other ties, “whatever little had been achieved since(former Prime Minister) Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure was being done away withand scrapped”.

“Such measures for short-term gains come at a huge price forthe people,” he said.

Mirwaiz said that he has time and again reiterated thatKashmir issue has been a bone of contention between the two countries for thepast 70 years.  “But all the successiveregimes that ruled India and Pakistan so far have failed to resolve thiscontentious issue,” he said.

The people of Kashmir are facing tremendous hardships forthe past seven decades in general and 30 years in particular, hoping that “someserious efforts would be made to resolve the issue so that peace prevails inthe region”, the Kashmir’s chief cleric said.

By largely staying away from the electoral process (LokSabha polls), the people of Kashmir have peacefully conveyed that they want aserious political initiative which shall lead to the resolution of the vexedKashmir issue, he said.

“The people and the Hurriyat leadership will support allinitiatives that are aimed at addressing the core issue,” Mirwaiz said.

“It’s not that people of Kashmir don’t believe in democraticpractices that electoral processes entail, but they want to understand for whatthey are participating in such a process? Has it any way changed anything onground for them? Has it helped in ending the uncertainty in their lives? Hasour true situation ever been conveyed to the people in India or any effort madein that direction?” he asked.

Mirwaiz alleged that “repressive measures” are increasingand cited the national highway closure for two days a week, frequent internetbans, “warnings” to government employees and crackdown on political andreligious organisations to make his point.

“Every other day, people from different segments of thesociety are being issued summons by the investigating agencies,” he said.”Government of India has to, at the end of the day, talk to Pakistan andKashmiris and settle the Kashmir issue once and for all”.

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