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| Mufti welcomes PM’s dialogue announcement, calls for consensus | | | Early Times Report
SRINAGAR | OCT 29, 2009
Welcoming Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's announcement that there were no pre-conditions for talks with Pakistan, Opposition PDP today appealed to all political parties to support the initiative.
"It is essential for all political forces in the country to back up the Prime Minister's initiative for peace," Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) patron, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, said.
"There has to be a national consensus on this vital issue and all parties must support the initiative as everyone had done to endorse (former Prime Minister A B) Vajpayee's initiative in 2003," he said.
The issue was too "sensitive" to be used for "partisan interests", Mufti said.
"The Vajpayee initiative which led to crucial deescalation had come at a time when the armies of the two countries were in a combat position, while at present there is total calm on the borders and Pakistani army is engaged in an all out war against terror," he said."This diametric difference in the scenario should be enough to silence the hawkish critics of the revival of dialogue process," he added.
The former Chief Minister said PM's declaration could prove historic for the future of South Asia if it was followed up with sincerity and a sense of urgency.Mufti said delinking terror from any dialogue on Kashmir was only logical as it existed as a political problem between the two neighbors much before the arrival of violence in its present form.
Commenting on the offer of dialogue extended by the PM to political parties in the state, Mufti said while it should hopefully evoke a positive response from all quarters it is necessary that the process was infused with more "credibility".He said it should not be seen as a "delaying tactics" by the people of the state who unfortunately have a reason to feel cynical about dialogues and accords.
"People have suffered for too long to be comforted by dialogue without results," he said, adding, "talks alone could help reach a resolution of Kashmir Problem."
Referring to the escalation of terrorist activity in Pakistan, the PDP leader reiterated his call for reaching out to the democratic forces and civil society of that country in their fight against terror.
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