Headlines
Mufti Sayeed disappointed at NSA level talks cancellation
Srinagar, Aug 23
Jammu and Kashmir Chief
Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed on Sunday expressed disappointment over
cancellation of NSA level talks between India and Pakistan, but hoped
the stalemate would soon be resolved.
In a statement here, Sayeed
expressed disappointment over abrupt cancellation of the meeting but
hoped the break in talks would be temporary and the thaw achieved at
Russia's Ufa where Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif met and
exhibited great camaraderie will not be allowed to go waste.
He
pinned hope that the two neighbours will re-engage soon in a meaningful
dialogue and steps taken by New Delhi to remove impediments in
normalization of relations will be reciprocated by Islamabad.
The
chief minister noted that for a sensitive border state like Jammu and
Kashmir, peace and stability on both the internal and the external
fronts are of critical significance to normalcy, stability and
development and from this perspective, last-minute cancellation of the
NSA-level meeting is a great disappointment.
"Escalation of
firing along the Line of Control (LoC), coupled with incidents of
terrorism, are matters of serious concern to us here, as much as they
are in the rest of the country," he said.
Asserting that
India-Pakistan relationship over the years has become multi-dimensional
and multilateral with each sphere dealing with specified issues like
trade, travel, confidence building measures (CBMs), diplomatic and
political matters, Sayeed said it is neither warranted nor desirable to
insist upon all-inclusive participation, directly or indirectly, in each
and every bilateral meeting, like that between the two NSAs.
Stating
that he wants to see both the countries walk the bridge of trust
together, he urged Pakistan to respond to New Delhi's warm gesture to
engage in a meaningful dialogue so that hopes and expectations of the
larger constituency of peace are addressed.
"We wish that the
hostilities between the two countries end so that people, who have
suffered due to prolonged confrontation, live together as peaceful
neighbours," he said while describing dialogue as the only way forward
to restore peace and stability in the region.
Describing his
state as a major loser due to India-Pakistan freeze, Sayeed said the
state has been the worst casualty of continued confrontation and
terrorism and "Jammu and Kashmir and its people cannot afford to bear
huge losses resulting from continued instability in the region".
Sayeed also said his government is firmly committed to provide space for a healthy debate across the political spectrum.
"Our
action speaks for itself. We have never sought to curb freedom of
expression, nor curtail civil liberties of citizens, so long as the
recognized rules are observed and there is no attempt to cause
disruption in peace," he said.