Uri, Jul 18 (KNS): Echoing the former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti Tuesday said bordered cannot be changed but the physical line can be removed to allow the people of the divided Jammu and Kashmir to meet.
“We cannot change the borders but we can remove the line (Line of Control) so that people across the two sides of Jammu and Kashmir can meet each other and travel across the world,” Mehbooba, as per KNS correspondent, told reporters in Uri after addressing public gathering and inaugurating several projects.
“Students and people from the two regions can come across and meet each other, talk to each other and see what is happening on the two sides. It will improve relations of the two countries as well.
The Chief Minister was on a whirlwind tour of Baramulla district to assess the development projects being undertaken in the area.
Mehbooba said that India and Pakistan should sit together and talk about reopening of trade routes on the border.
“We should open more trade routes. Kargil-Askardu, Jammu-Sialkot, Nowshera-Jangad, Xiangjinag and central Asian routes. I think we should sit together to talk about opening these routes,” she said.
In 2005 when PDP patron late Mufti Sayeed was chief minister, the Muzaffarad road in Uri was opened for bus service ‘Karwan-e-Aman' and then in 2008 trade between divided parts of the state was started. The Aman Setu Bridge between Uri and Muzaffarabad was inaugurated by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in 2005.
Mehbooba said that she hoped the relations between the two countries improve.
“Employment, corruption, poverty are the same problems that the two countries are grappled with. Why not fight these issues together,” she said.
She said that the Wagah border remains open despite the ceasefire violations.
Earlier, addressing a gathering in Uri, the chief minister said that the mission of her party was to forge good relations with Pakistan and seek an end to border skirmishes.
She said that 24 seats designated for constituencies of Jammu and Kashmir occupied by Pakistan in 1947 are vacant in the legislative assembly. “Till their nomination, we should constitute an advisory committee comprising members of both sides of Kashmir that will work for the promotion of tourism and other areas,” she said.
Mehbooba said that her party wanted to form an advisory committee that will work for promotion of tourism on both sides of Kashmir.
“The committee will comprise members of both sides of Kashmir. The committee will promote tourism and find modalities for allowing student visits on both sides of Kashmir. This will ensure peace and stability in the region,” she said.
Former Congress PM Dr Manmohan Singh had said in 2017 at University of Jammu after being conferred a Degree of Letters (honoris causa) borders cannot be changed, but they can be made irrelevant. (KNS)
