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The resumption of talks between India and Pakistan was hailed by both sides of the political divide in Jammu & Kashmir, with the ruling PDP hailing the “maturity shown by the two prime ministers” who met in Ufa Friday, and the Opposition NCP terming it as a “good first step”.
While senior PDP leader and Education Minister Naeem Akhter expressed the hope that the dialogue would lead to confidence-building measures focused on J&K, NCP leader Omar Abdullah hoped that the process would be sustained “over the long term for results”.
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“This step can be another defining moment in Indo-Pak relations. We hope the two leaders will work for a stable region and peaceful borders,” Akhter told reporters. “Our borders have been unstable for the last couple of years. Such initiatives are required to ensure peace,” he added.
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Asked about the absence of Kashmir in the joint statement issued by both sides, Akhter said: “We still believe that the external dimension of the Kashmir issue has to be addressed one day. It is not an event but a process. With the maturity shown by the two prime ministers, we are hopeful that this will reach its logical conclusion.”
Elaborating on what he expected from the talks vis-à-vis J&K, Akhter said that both sides should work on expanding facilities for tourists and pilgrims along the LoC. “Cross-LoC trade should also be upgraded, and banking and communication facilities should be provided to traders,” he said.
Omar, however, was more cautious while describing the resumption of talks as “a welcome development”.
“I only hope that this time it is sustained over the long term for results,” the former CM posted on Twitter. “We’ve seen too many breaks in this process to allow today’s announcements to excite us much here in the Valley but it’s a good 1st step,” he said.
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