Srinagar: Making one of the rare visits and a rarer public address in Srinagar,
Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on April 18 offered a hand of friendship to
Pakistan and dialogue with people of Jammu and Kashmir to settle "internal and
external issues" but made it clear that guns cannot resolve problems.
In a public meeting addressed by a Prime Minister after 15 years in the militancy-
hit state, Vajpayee, however, accused Islamabad of not responding to peace
initiatives taken by India.
"We once again extend the hand of friendship but it should be reciprocated by both
sides," he said recalling the peace initiatives taken by his government including
the Lahore bus journey and the Agra Summit.
An estimated 30,000 strong crowd, mostly youth, heard the Prime Minister in rapt
attention when he said, "The play of death and destruction has to be stopped to let
Kashmir be a garden where birds would sing again."
"I have said that every issue should be settled by talks. We are prepared (to talk
to solve) internal and external issues. Not guns but brotherhood alone can resolve
issues," Vajpayee said.
PTI
