Srinagar: The recent thaw in relations between India and Pakistan has raised hopes among people in Jammu and Kashmir that the two countries will make a substantial headway towards peace at the forthcoming SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) Summit to be held in Islamabad next weekend.

"I see a bright future for people of Jammu and Kashmir. A lot of progress has been made by India and Pakistan towards peace and we hope that the two countries will make further strides on the path of peace at the forthcoming SAARC Summit," State Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed told reporters.

Sayeed said many bold initiatives have been taken by New Delhi and Islamabad following Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's historic offer of a hand of friendship to the neighbouring country during a public rally in Srinagar on April 18.

"Road links have been restored and restoration of air and rail links are on the anvil. Now, we hope Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road will be opened to allow divided families across line of control (LoC) to meet," he added.

Ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti said, "We are looking forward to some positive development at the SAARC Summit.

"We welcome the restoration of travel links between India and Pakistan but the real road (Srinagar-Muzaffarabad) to friendship between the two nations passes through Uri in Kashmir," she said.

Mehbooba said the coalition partners in the State Government were organising a rally in Kashmir on January 1 in an attempt to mobilise the public opinion in support of the peace moves between India and Pakistan.

Chairman of Hurriyat Conference Maulana Mohammad Abbas Ansari said he was also hopeful that the SAARC Summit would lead to a better understanding between India and Pakistan on all issues, including Kashmir.

"I think Kashmir will figure in the talks between Vajpayee and Musharraf, if they take place. But such a dialogue will be useless if the Kashmiris are ignored," Ansari said.

Asked about the possibility of India and Pakistan agreeing on opening of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road at the Summit, the Hurriyat chairman said the "two countries have restored road, rail and air links. Why not this road between the two parts of Kashmir?"

He said, "It would be a major step in resolution of Kashmir issue as we will be able to hold intra-Kashmir talks before talking to New Delhi. We have accepted to talk to India as it had refused to allow us to visit Azad (Pakistan occupied) Kashmir."

Chief of Democratic Liberation Party (DLP) Hashim Qureshi said the improvement in bilateral relations between India and Pakistan indicates that next week's conference in Islamabad will be result-oriented.

"I think some result-oriented steps will be taken at the forthcoming Summit unlike in the past, when the conferences were held in conditions full of hostility between the two biggest countries of the SAARC grouping," he added.