Take urgent steps to reduce border tension: Mehbooba

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 29

Expressing grave concern over the escalation of tension along the border, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today said confrontation could lead to a disaster of epic proportions if urgent steps were not taken to bring down the heightened tension in the region.

“New Delhi and Islamabad must open channels of communication, realising the dangerous consequences of any escalation of the ongoing confrontation along the border,” she said while reacting to the situation unfolding in the region. Calling for restraint, Mehbooba said the people of Jammu and Kashmir had the greatest stake in peace as they had undergone enormous tragedies because of blood-spattered violence.

“We in J&K have suffered immensely because of the violence and know very well its dangers and consequences,” she said. She called upon the political leadership of India and Pakistan to de-escalate the war-like situation in the region.

“For the people of Jammu and Kashmir, peace along the border and within the heartland is of immense significance. I hope the political leadership of the two countries will treat it with the same spirit,” she said.

Mehbooba said India and Pakistan had bickered for well over six decades like siblings locked in an  endless rivalry and  transforming that rivalry into a mature, productive relationship would be difficult. “The consequences of continued animosity will be much worse,” she said. She added that the necessity of dialogue had assumed more significance in the post-nuclear phase.

Maintaining that war was never an option to resolve issues, the Chief Minister said India and Pakistan should instead together fight poverty and economic deprivation plaguing the region.

“The two nuclear armed neighbours must cooperate in the fields of social development, including eradication of poverty,” she said.

“With growing economies and energy needs and need for newer, more diverse markets and trading opportunities, the future of the region has to be defined by common economic interests instead of hostilities,” she said.

The Chief Minister called for reviving the spirit of the joint statement issued in Islamabad on December 9 last year. In the joint statement, both sides had agreed to begin a comprehensive bilateral dialogue on peace and security, confidence-building measures, J&K, Siachen, Sir Creek, Wular barrage, economic and commercial cooperation, counter-terrorism, narcotics control, humanitarian issues, people-to-people exchange and religious tourism.

Asserting that there was no alternative to talks, Mehbooba said history was witness to the fact that even after fighting wars, India and Pakistan had to time and again come back to the negotiating table.

“I am sure that amid the gloomy scenario prevailing in the region, hope for peaceful means of resolving issues will again stand ground and political leadership of the two countries will revive peace and reconciliation with a fresh resolve,” she said.

“It will be in the interest of both countries to solve their problems through the bilateral framework as it is the only way forward given the dicey parameters of international power politics,” she said.