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| Farooq for easing travel restrictions trans-border | | | Early Times Reporter
Mendhar | May 21
Former chief minister and patron National Conference Dr Farooq Abdullah today called upon both Indian and Pakistan to ease restrictions on travel between Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawlakote so as to provide relief to thousands of divided families on both sides of border.
Addressing a largely attended public meeting, here today at Mendhar , Dr Abdullah observed that efforts made for opening of road links between India and Pakistan will remain meaningless owing to the complicated system and travel formalities.
"I urge both India and Pakistan to ease travel restrictions and formalities so that the people can be benefited at large", he said adding that the people of both countries should come closer to understand each other so that atmosphere of peace, goodwill and confidence could be created.
"We want the travel between the two parts be eased on the pattern of the European Union without any restrictions ", he said adding instead of travel permit the visitors on both side of border should be allowed to move freely across the border by using their Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC).
Emphasizing the need of strengthening the Confidence Building Measures, Dr. Abdullah said that the need of the hour is to strongly strengthen the CBMs in order to have good cordial and brotherly relations. "I pray that the visit of Union External Affairs Minister Parnab Mukherjee to Pakistan will bring good results and will be step ahead in strengthening the CBMs".
He said that both India and Pakistan should work for creating an atmosphere of understanding and confidence among each other for a long lasting peace in the sub-continent.
Lambasting the PDP for confusing the people and taking credit of opening of roads between India and Pakistan, NC Patron said, "PDP has no role to play in opening the roads between the two countries. The much hype created by the PDP is just to gain publicity while the reality is that it has happened just because of the sincere efforts of the both the two countries (India and Pakistan) and nobody can take credit of that". He suggested PDP not to mislead the general public.
Referring to the low frequency of people visiting two sides from Poonch – Mendhar, Dr. Abdullah just this low frequency of visits is just because of the complicated travel documentations and when the paper works are simplified the people from both sides who have their close relations and are very eager to visit each other can visit easily and freely.
National Conference, he said, believe that unity and peace are the basic need for the economic development of the state and "my party shall fight for the cause of Pahari and Gujjars and will ensure that the interest of both the sections are protected".
He said attempts are being made by some political vested elements to divide people of the state for their short term political interests, which is unjust and unfortunate.
Those who want to create wedge among the two communities are not their well-wishers, but are the enemies of the state and asked the people to be vigilant against such forces who with an eye on the upcoming elections want to divide the people on communal lines.
Reaffirming to the party's first propriety, Dr Abdullah said "the first priority of the National Conference will be to redress the unemployment problem if my party assumes power in the next assembly elections.
He said the party will ensure that the qualification bar for appointment of Constables in Police department shall be middle pass and moreover the qualification bar for recruitment to Class IV category shall also be middle pass and not matric as is imposed by the present regime.
Emphasizing the need of job oriented education in the state, Dr. Abdullah said, "The priority of my party will be to train skill hands by opening technical institutes in remote and far flung areas so that in this age of technology, technical hands could be produced and easily adjusted and government and private sectors".
Among others who were present on the occasion included Ajay Sadhotra, Provincial President, S. Harbans Singh, Sr. Vice President, Rattan Lal Gupta, Sr. Vice President, Javed Rana, MLA, Kr. Rachpal Singh, MLA, Mushtaq Ahmed Bukhari, MLA, M. R Qureshi, MLC, Ch. Bashir Ahmed Naz, MLC, Qazi Mohd Syed Beig, Bimla Luthra, Vijay Laxmi Dutta,, Ch. Nazir, Ch. Showkat, Ch. Rahim Dad, Ch. Wali Dad and others.
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