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Indian Parties Should Evolve Consensus on K Solution: Former CM

By Fayaz Wani

Srinagar,July 10: The former Chief minister of Indian administered Kashmir and former Indian Home Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Sunday said there was a need for the political parties in India to evolve a consensus on resolving the Kashmir issue with Pakistan.

Addressing a public meeting in winter capital, Mufti said strengthening of democratic institutions and emergence of a strong civil society was a good sign and India has to respond to the prevailing a positive atmosphere in the region.

He observed there was no substitute to resolving the Kashmir issue that had dampened the immense economic potential of South Asian region for decades and people of Kashmir were the worst victim of this problem.

"All sections of political opinion have to lend a helping hand in the process of solving Kashmir issue", he said and appealed Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and principal opposition BJP to respond positively to the prevailing situation.

Mufti mentioned the historic announcement made by the then Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee during his Kashmir visit in 2003. He said Vajpayee's announcement to extend hands of friendship towards Pakistan had boosted the peace process. "The peace process with Pakistan has to be rise above party politics and it has to be driven by long term goals of conflict resolution and cooperation. Biggest ever Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) which has a positive effect on improving relations between the two countries was the opening of crossing points on Line of Control (LoC)", he observed.

Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir.