Saturday, February 19 2005 11:53 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jammu: Appreciating the support of political leaders of the State for the opening of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed yesterday (Feb 18, 2005) said that it is the most significant Confidence Building Measure (CBM) taken by India and Pakistan ever since the partition.

Talking with some political leaders, including Member of Parliament, T S Bajwa and legislators, Mohammad Dilawar Mir and Ghulam Nabi Bhat who met him in Jammu yesterday (Feb 18, 2005), Sayeed appreciated the recent political developments with reference to Jammu and Kashmir especially the agreement reached between India and Pakistan for starting up of a bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad.

They felt that the step would meet a long pending demand of the people of the State and ensure greater people-to-people contact, essential for lasting peace in the State.

The Chief Minister said that he has always pressed for Jammu and Kashmir-specific Confidence Building Measures that could lead to the improvement in the situation and address the grievances of the people.

The opening of the road, he said, is a major leap in this direction. He recalled that he has been pursuing this demand at the highest level ever since he assumed power and said before that his party had taken up the issue as its main plank.

Sayeed said that he was happy to see this dream of the people of Jammu and Kashmir being realised and hoped that other closed roads like the Suchetgarh-Sialkot and Kargil-Iskardu would also be thrown open. He said people have welcomed the announcement as a major stride in the path of peace.

The leaders also took up with the Chief Minister problems concerning their respective areas and sought his intervention in addressing these. He promised them that these would be looked into and appropriate action taken.