JK News Today
Jammu, December 12
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said here on Monday that Jammu and Kashmir can be the starting point for India initiated Economic Corridor parallel to the China – Pakistan Economic Corridor to reach out to Pakistan and Central Asia.
Arguing her case for broader and friendly opening of routes, which would deliver peace and economic prosperity to the region , Chief Minister made a passionate plea to open more routes with Pakistan to extend it further to Central Asia. “ This can bring massive change in our fortunes,” she said while speaking at a function where she distributed cheques among the Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir refugees, now settled here.
“Whatever has happened in the past few months has resulted in death and destruction in both the countries. This does not augur well for either India or Pakistan,” the Chief Minister said. She said that the whole scene can change when Pakistan goes back to its original commitment ( as enshrined in Islamabad declaration of January 6, 2004) of not sponsoring terrorism from its soil or the territories under its control to Jammu and Kashmir.”
India should have friendly ties with Pakistan , she argued, but Pakistan has to stop all means of spreading violence and confusion in Jammu and Kashmir. “ The state is important because it is crown of India and the central point of opening of new routes to Pakistan and Central Asia.”
“The ( $46 billion ) CPEC has become a corner stone of the new economic activity from China to Pakistan , we too, can have similar activity by constructing our own corridor. The state can play a crucial role because of its all-important geographical location , but the greater necessity is of peace and friendly relations in the region,” Mehbooba added .
And the route to this new- era peace and vision is rooted in the former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee’s formula of having friendly relations with the neighbouring countries, she stressed. “ That is the key”.
Mehbooba Mufti also assured that J&K is where it is , and it will stay where it is, so no doubts should be entertained otherwise, but the fact is that this humanitarian issue of Kashmir has to be addressed .
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