Monday, October 17 2005 16:44 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today (Oct 17, 2005) urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to help restore telephone links between Jammu and Kashmir and parts occupied by Pakistan to address the anxiety of families divided by October 8 earthquake in the region.

Sayeed, who spoke to Singh over the phone, impressed upon the Prime Minister to pursue with Pakistan the need to take up joint relief operations for the quake victims, an official spokesman said.

"There is an immediate need to restore telephone links between Jammu and Kashmir to Muzaffarabad and Pakistan so that anxious families on both sides could contact each other and get to know the welfare of their relatives," he said.

While Pakistan had agreed to receive relief material from India, it has rejected New Delhi's offer of joint relief operations.

Sayeed also urged Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf to respond positively to the Indian offer so that the victims of the killer quake could be provided with the much-needed help without further loss of time. The humanitarian assistance would go well with the current atmosphere of amity and friendship, he said.

The prompt and positive response the country has show towards the quake victims in Pakistan has found wide appreciation among people in Jammu and Kashmir and the country as a whole, Sayeed said.