JK News Today

Srinagar, November 2

Minister for Education and Senior Cabinet Minister Naeem Akhtar today called for taking serious initiatives to revive the peace process between India and Pakistan as any hostility between the two countries hurts the people of Jammu and Kashmir the most.

The Minister was speaking at a daylong party convention at Ganderbal. It was also attended by MLC Yasir Reshi, Waheed-u-Rahman Para, District president PDP Bashir Ahmad, vice district president Zahoor Ahmad Rather and other leaders.

Akhtar said that peace is inevitable in Jammu and Kashmir and the emergence of PDP has changed the entire discourse. “Earlier during such periods of hostility some voices would have called for intensifying the attacks and God forbid full fledged war, but now people and leaders demand peace and de-escalation of the conflict,” said Akhtar.

“Because everybody realizes now that conflict benefits none.”The Minister said that the state cannot progress in the absence of peace and everything will fall in peace once the situation is conducive. “It was always a dream of PDP founder Mufti Mohammed Syed that Jammu and Kashmir enters into an era of peace, stability and unprecedented development. Our Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti too has taken it upon herself to realize the dream that will bring equitable development to all the regions of the state,” said Akhtar. “It was due to our policies that Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a major step towards peace when he visited Lahore to reach out to Pakistani leadership. Now it is high time that such initiatives are revived for the benefit of entire South Asia,” he further added

.The Minister said that the hawks are everywhere but due to sustenance and peoples thirst for peace, the doves will prevail. “There are challenges everywhere, but it will take the leadership of a statesman to overcome them and move unhindered on a path of peace and prosperity,” said Akhtar.The Minister said that the state coalition also works on the same mantra that people want peace not war. “Our alliance with BJP has been a step towards the same direction. It was the alliance dictated by election outcome, political reality and interests of the people,” said Akhtar. “there are challenges but peace is inevitable.”