By IANS,
Jammu: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has called for a national consensus to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute with Pakistan.
Speaking at a rally at Kalu Chak near here, Mufti Sayeed said: “There was no substitute to resolving this festering sore that has dampened the immense economic potential of South Asian region for decades and bruised the body and soul of Jammu and Kashmir.”
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the country has to respond to the “pain and aspirations” of the state in a positive manner. All sections of political opinion have to lend a helping hand in this endeavour.
He said any progress achieved since 2003 on the diplomatic and political front on the Kashmir issue internally or with Pakistan had become possible only because the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had carried forward the initiates taken by then prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.
“It is now the turn of the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) and especially the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) to stop viewing any dialogue with Pakistan with suspicion and lend support to the new efforts,” he said.
Mufti Sayeed’s comments came five days before foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan meet in New Delhi. The BJP has come out strongly against the meeting saying India should not talk to Pakistan until the latter ends its support to anti-India militants.
India and Pakistan dispute the ownership of Jammu and Kashmir and control parts of it. A separatist campaign raging in the state since 1989 has left thousands dead and shows no signs of ending.
Mufti Sayeed said the peace process had to rise above terrorist incidents and knee-jerk reactions.
The peace process, he said, had to be driven by long-term goals of conflict resolution and cooperation rather than be confined to confidence building.
In this context, he said while small steps like allowing the return of youths from Pakistan were welcome, the confidence building measures introduced in the past seem to have been neglected.
“Trade and travel across the LOC (Line of Control) have virtually become a hostage to the hassles of procedure. The government of India should do everything that is needed to harness its full potential,” he added.