Pak army’s statement on talks; right thing at right time: PDP

Srinagar, May 17: Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday termed the Pakistan army’s statement in which it expressed readiness to hold talks with India, as a very positive development taking place at a very right time.
In a statement, PDP General Secretary Mansoor Hussain Soharwardhy said such a development will strengthen the reconciliatory measures that are in the offing between the two countries to resolve the long pending issues.
Mansoor said that the PDP has always been pitching that without a thaw between India and Pakistan, peace in South Asia including Jammu and Kashmir will remain elusive. “Perpetual efforts are needed from all sides so that the two countries come closer and make peace an inseparable feature of the sub-continent. The hostilities only have yielded death and destruction and people of the state have been the worst sufferers of the arch rivalry of the yesteryears,” Mansoor said, adding that the statement made by the Pakistan army has to be welcomed as it aims to put lid over violence and usher era of peace.
The PDP General Secretary said that after the encouraging development of Ramadan ceasefire by the central government, the statement of the Pakistan army has instilled new hopes to the people of the state to look forward towards a better, peaceful and dignified future.
Mansoor said that both India and Pakistan should take immediate measures for the de-escalation of violence, opening of more routes, initiate talks with the stakeholders and ensure successful people to people contact on both the sides of the border and LOC. “The time has come when the political leadership, armies and the civil societies of both India and Pakistan should pitch for sustainable dialogue and reconciliation as the only means to address the pending issues and save precious lives ,” said the PDP General Secretary.
Mansoor said the basic foundation of the PDP was laid upon the principle of restoration of peace and end of enmity between both India and Pakistan and that the party founder spent his entire life amid perpetual efforts to stop the guns of both the sides from roaring. “Time is vindicating the earnest and consistent stand of the PDP towards everlasting, peaceful and honorable solution of the Kashmir conflict,” he added.
The PDP leader said that time has come when irrespective of the party lines, the political groups in Kashmir too need to rise above and play a constructive role in unison so that state’s present generation is saved from mayhem and bloodshed,” he said.