By IRNA
Srinagar, India : Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said several youth who had crossed over to Pakistan Administered Kashmir for arms training in early nineties and are now eager to return back and live peaceful lives called on the PDP President Ms Mehbooba Mufti and sought her intervention in facilitating their safe return back home.
Some non-combatant political activists, who had also crossed-over to POK in early nineties also called on Ms Mufti Monday with the similar plea, a PDP statement said.
PDP is the partner in the state government and Mehbooba represents party in the Indian parliament.
She is currently visiting Pakistan to attend an International conference on Kashmir.
The conference is organized by Italian NGO, Pugwash.
The PDP President told these youth and the non-combatant political activists that her party has been vocally raising their issue at various forums and it has also been made a part of the recommendations of the Prime Minister’s Working Groups on Kashmir.
“I would again raise the issue with the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and other concerned authorities in New Delhi when I go back,” she assured the youth.
Mufti said the Government of India must, without any further delay, implement the recommendations already finalized by the four Working Groups encompassing various intra and inter-state Confidence Building Measures including safe passage for all such youth who have shunned the path of violence and are eager to return and live peaceful lives.
“I think the time has come to go for such bold reconciliatory measures in the interest of peace and stability,” she said.
Mehbooba Mufti also called on the Muslim Conference patriarch and former President and Prime Minister of POK Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan here Tuesday to discuss the political and economic issues concerning the two parts of Jammu & Kashmir.
In an hour-long meeting the two leaders resolved to press for the speedy implementation of the J&K-specific cross-LoC confidence building measures including facilitation of free movement of people and goods across the two sides through all the traditional routes.
They said the governments in New Delhi and Islamabad must, without any further wait, remove the impediments delaying trade through Srinagar- Muzaffarabad road.
“It is ironic that cement consignments from Pakistan are allowed to land in Kashmir all through Wagah border and not through Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road,” the two leaders observed.
They said for the larger economic good of the people of Jammu & Kashmir and the region, the leadership of the two countries must, with political courage, get all the obstacles, hampering cross-LoC trade, resolved, sooner the better.
Meanwhile another top pro-India leader and a senior minister in the coalition government flayed Mufti for her remarks.
Reacting to the PDP president, Mahbooba Mufti’s statement on Kashmir at Islamabad, the PDF chairman and senior minister in the coalition government, Hakeem Yaseen, Tuesday said that the remarks could be Mahbooba Mufti’s personal opinion as she could not represent the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement, Yaseen said that tripartite talks between the leaderships of India, Pakistan and Kashmir were a durable and appropriate platform for the solution of the Kashmir issue.
“United efforts need to be made by people from different schools of thought,” he said, adding that the PDF had always made concerted and peaceful efforts for resolving the Kashmir issue.
“Some individual party cannot take decisions by ignoring the point of view of others, because people desire a durable solution to the issue,” he said.
According to Yaseen, the PDF would continue its efforts for a peaceful resolution keeping in view the people’s aspirations.
“The time has come to give up personal and party considerations, and seriously try to rectify the situation, because a lot of blood has been shed in Jammu and Kashmir in the past 60 years,” he said.