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Mehbooba aghast over non inclusion of J&K in talks | | | Bashir Assad Srinagar, Sept 9: While describing the initiatives taken during Foreign Ministers talks in Islamabad as historical, People's Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti, however, expressed her dismay over what she termed leaving Jammu and Kashmir out of the CBMs. Addressing a hurriedly conveyed press conference at her Gupkar residence here today Mehbooba Mufti said signing historical agreements on visa liberalization and trade between the two countries of India and Pakistan was welcome but ignoring Jammu and Kashmir which has been bearing the brunt of animosity between the two nations at the time of reconciliatory initiatives between the two was very unfortunate. Mehbooba recalled that when the two armies were eye- ball to eye-ball on borders in 2003 waiting for a final call from the respective political establishments, Jammu and Kashmir acted as a bridge between them and the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee extended hand of friendship towards Pakistan from the soil of Kashmir and the peace process was set in motion during which many Jammu and Kashmir centric CBMs were initiated and a gamut of other initiatives were under offing. But unfortunately, Mehbooba said, this time the Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan left Jammu and Kashmir out of it. "I fail to understand as to why the historical initiatives taken today cannot be extended to Jammu and Kashmir", wondered Mehbooba. "The peace process started from Jammu and Kashmir in 2004 had direct impact on the people of the state and the process was heading towards evolutionary resolution of the problem", Mehbooba recalled. PDP president further added that besides initiating historical cross LoC CBMs during the earlier peace process, people friendly measures like release of political prisoners like Sayed Ali Shah Geelani and Yasin Malik had a direct impact on the situation in Kashmir. " The Jammu and Kashmir was pivotal and it was acting as a bridge between the two countries", added PDP president. " Jammu and Kashmir has been the victim of animosity between the two countries and now when the relations between the two are improving J&K should have been the primary beneficiary of the reconciliation but unfortunately J&K is not given the share when the two countries come closer", added Mehbooba. While asking India and Pakistan to include Jammu and Kashmir in CBMs, Mehbooba said, " I would like to appeal both the countries to extend CBMs to J&K as ignoring the state is fraught with dangerous consequences". She said that Jammu and Kashmir should cement the relations between the two countries and People's Democratic Party firmly believes that the people of the state should be the primary beneficiaries of the peace process. "Unless the peace process is redirected to J&K-specific measures as had happened in 2003, the dialogue will lack meaning for the people of this State who are the main stakeholders in reconciliation between the two countries." Mehbooba said J&K had been looking keenly forward to implementation of the decisions taken last year between the two Foreign Ministers on cross-LoC trade and travel. Though it is a welcome move to ease the general visa regime between the two countries and allowing investment in each other's business ventures, the inability to implement decisions pertaining to J&K has come as a huge disappointment here, she said. |
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