India-Pakistan legislators favour new transit routes, additional flights

Terming people to people contacts between India and Pakistan as the single-most important confidence building measure(CBM), Parliamentarians from the two countries Friday favoured opening of new transit routes across the Line of Control (LoC) and additional flights.

A joint statement issued at the end of the second round of India-Pakistan Parliamentarians Dialogue here, listed issues which can be solved at the level of Parliaments of both the nations.

"People to people contacts were recognized as the single most important CBM. Recommendations were made to implement the agreement for opening new transit routes across LoC in Kashmir and Khokhrapar-Munabao, along with commencing additional flights," the statement said.

The two-day long conference which began on Thursday, was jointly chaired by Member of Parliament Yashwant Sinha and Pakistani Senator Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali. The first round of the discussions were held in January this year in Islamabad.

"This was informal getting together of the MPs. On both sides, Parliaments have now decided to have MPs constitute a friendship group. In future I am hoping that group in both the Parliaments will be able to carry forward the work that we have done," Yashwant Sinha said.

On whether issues like terrorism and Kashmir were discussed, Sinha said, "They were raised, but the most important thing that everyone felt was the need to try and garner those things which are achievable and doable."