India ready to discuss all issues with Pakistan: PM

Thursday, October 29, 2009

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan SinghManmohan Singh on Wednesday said India is ready to discuss all issues with Pakistan.

Inaugurating the Anantnag-Qazigund Rail Link in occupied Kashmir the Indian prime minister said he strongly believed that the majority of the people in Pakistan sought good neighbourly and cooperative relations with India.

“They seek a permanent peace. This is our view as well,” Singh said, adding, “I appeal to the Government of Pakistan that the hand of friendship that we have extended should be carried forward. This is in the interest of people of India and Pakistan,” he said. Congress President Sonia GandhiSonia Gandhi, held Kashmir Chief Minister Omar AbdullahOmar Abdullah, Union ministers Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi AzadGhulam Nabi Azad and former chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed were also present on the occasion.

Kashmiris observed strike when the Indian prime minister reached occupied Kashmir on Wednesday for a two-day visit during which he will inaugurate some development projects.

Noting that terrorists want permanent enmity between Pakistan and India, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that New Delhi was willing to talk “anyone” having “meaningful ideas” to promote peace in Kashmir.

“Intensive discussions were held on all issues, including on a permanent resolution of the issue of Jammu and Kashmir,î Singh said, adding “Most fruitful and productive discussions” with Pakistan were held between 2004 and 2007 when militancy and violence had begun to decline.î The number of visas issued to Pakistanis doubled during this period and an additional rail link was re-established, he said.

“These are not small achievements given the history of our troubled relationship with Pakistan. Inside the valley, as militancy declined, trade, business and tourism began to pick up,” Singh said.

“We were moving in the right direction. For the first time, there was a feeling among the people that a durable and final peace was around the corner. However, all the progress that we achieved has been repeatedly thwarted by acts of terrorism,” Singh said.

Singh said divided families were re-united and trade between the two sides of Kashmir had begun and overall trade with Pakistan had increased three-fold during 2004-07.People are able to travel across the Line of Control, he said, adding “Clearances for travel take time.î Prisoners of India and Pakistan are languishing in each other’s jails even after completing their sentences,” he said.

The resolution of these humanitarian issues requires cooperation of Pakistan. “We are ready to discuss these and other issues with the Government of Pakistan,” he said. “We want to carry all sections of the people with us in resolving the political and economic problems of Jammu and Kashmir,” Singh said.

“It is the solemn duty of the government of Pakistan to bring them to book, to destroy their camps and to eliminate their infrastructure. They should destroy these militant groups wherever they are operating and for whatever misguided purpose,” he said.

“I wish to say again today that we are willing to talk to anyone who has any meaningful ideas for promoting peace and development in Kashmir,” the Indian prime minister said.He said the “era of violence and terrorism is coming to an end. The public sentiment is for peace and for a peaceful resolution of all problems.”

Five years ago, Singh said, his government had committed itself to having unconditional dialogue with “whoever abjures violence” after which New Delhi held talks with different groups and “implemented” a number of initiatives.

Expressing concern about reports of receding glaciers, he announced the launch of the National Mission on Sustaining the Himalayan Eco-system. After the meeting, the prime minister and other leaders flagged off the 18-km long Anantnag-Qazigund section of the Kashmir rail project. “The day is not far when trains will run from Jammu to Srinagar through the Banihal pass,” Singh added.

Meanwhile in Srinagar, dozens of protesters burnt effigies of Singh and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah during an anti-India protest broken up by baton-wielding policemen. Abdullah stressed that a political settlement of the dispute was necessary and promised his government would facilitate New Delhi’s dialogue with Kashmiri groups.

“The shutdown conveys to the Indian prime minister that people reject the dialogue offer unless India withdraws its troops, releases prisoners, repeals impunity laws and accepts Kashmir as an international dispute,” Syed Ali ShahAli Shah Geelani told The Associated Press.

Special commandos were deployed in Anantnag and roads were sealed off in Srinagar where Singh was locked in talks with top state officials at a high-security lakeside convention center.