Former Union minister and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday asked for opening more cross-LoC trade and travel points to bring the people of divided Jammu and Kashmir closer
Former Union minister and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday asked for opening more cross-LoC trade and travel points to bring the people of divided Jammu and Kashmir closer. He reiterated there is no alternative to India-Pakistan friendship and cooperation, insisting the bonhomie was in the best interest of the people of J&K who, he said, have been at the receiving end of the strained relations between the two South Asian neighbours.
Making a passionate appeal to New Delhi and Islamabad to actively work towards opening additional trade and travel routes along the de facto border, Mr Abdullah said an increased people-to-people contact would be the greatest weapon to defeat terror and those who believed in exploiting sentiments for violence. “Time has come to open the Jammu-Sialkot route for travel and trade. The Kargil-Skardu route should be thrown open as well and efforts should be made to open every possible route along the LoC to connect people on the two sides,” he said. He added, “Similarly, New Delhi and Islamabad should encourage people to travel to each other’s countries and experience the commonalties in culture and philosophy and the universal bonds of brotherhood.”
The NC leader said he strongly believed that “remaining isolated in our own perception and mindsets will lead to an increased polarisation in the world where people will be pitted against one another by those who want to keep the pot boiling”.
Once again pitching for better India-Pakistan relations, friendship and cooperation, he said that terrorism is a common threat to both countries. “I’ve always maintained that terrorism is a universal enemy and there could be no possible distinction between acts and ideologies of terror and violence. What happened in Lahore is heart rending and painful,” he said adding “Time has come when we do realise (that) we need to be united in fighting violence and terror and safeguard the future of our coming generations”. Mr. Abdullah said that during his previous visits to the United States and Europe, he always maintained how there can be no possible justification for violence and how an equivocal attitude and ambiguity towards terrorism would prove to be detrimental to global peace and stability. “Unfortunately those apprehensions proved to be true and the spectre of violence is now consuming more innocent lives than we could have imagined back then”, he said. He also said that the NC will remain committed to the goal of encouraging New Delhi and Islamabad to engage in sustained talks and work towards the resolution of all outstanding issues between the two neighbours. “We have always maintained that Kashmir is a political issue that needs a political solution and we will continue to strive for the restoration of sustained peace in the State. National Conference has always chosen sacrifices over power and we will continue to uphold our ideals and values”, he said.
