Ahead of Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari's visit, the J&K government, and the main opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP), have asked for steps to boost cross-LoC trade and travel.
Ahead of Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari's visit, the J&K government, and the main opposition Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP), have asked for steps to boost cross-LoC trade and travel.
Chief minister Omar Abdullah, in a letter, has asked the prime minister to address issues of trade and travel and re-look issues like communication and banking system to make the trade competitive, when he sits with Zardari on Sunday.
Zardari, who becomes the first Paksitan President to arrive in India since 2005, has given indications that he is ready to talk about terrorism, by including interior minister Rehman Malik - the only minister - in his 40-member delegation.
Omar said trade is suffering on account of non-application of normal trading practices. He said unless telephone, banking, financial and other normal trade related facilities are created, trade would not accrue the benefits. Traders in J&K were not getting benefits from this trade, compared to their counterparts trading across borders in Wagah, he added.
Opposition PDP patron and former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said, "Credibility of the entire peace process is at stake and unless the two governments come over the hawkish elements in each country to implement major decisions, the painstakingly built effort could breed renewed cynicism in the state with serious implications," he warned. Praising former prime minister Atal Bihar Vajpayee, Mufti said he had picked up the vibes from Srinagar correctly and embarked on a bold process.
An independent MLA Engineer Rashid told DNA that a restrictive permit system and limited trading items were hampering the trade.
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