India, Pak should end LoC violence, resolve Kashmir issue, says Mirwaiz

Dialogue, serious engagements are ways to move forward towards resolution, says Mirwaiz

Chairman of moderate Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Wednesday expressed concern over the escalation of violence along the LoC and asked India and Pakistan to demonstrate the "maturity" to resolve the Kashmir issue peacefully.

He said the "root cause" of tension, violence and bitterness between the two nuclear neighbours is the Kashmir issue.

"Until both the countries show a will to resolve the issue, innocent lives will continue to be lost and Kashmiris continue to suffer," the Mirwaiz, under house arrest for a month, said in a statement here.

The Mirwaiz asked the leadership of both countries to "desist from military adventurism, the consequences of which are directly borne by the people of Jammu and Kashmir on both sides and by poor soldiers".

Instead they should show the maturity to peacefully resolve the issue and put an end to the conflict, he said.

The Mirwaiz said the Centre has to shun its "military approach" in dealing with the people of Kashmir.

He alleged it was a "war-like" situation along the LoC and in Kashmir.

"In the present day world, wars do not resolve issues, nor does repression," he said.

Dialogue and serious engagements are the means to be employed to move forward towards resolution, he said.

"It is high time that the three stakeholders to the dispute- India, Pakistan and most importantly the people of Kashmir - get together and deliberate and resolve the dispute keeping the will and aspirations of the people of Kashmir in view, once and for all.