The Hindu : National : Mufti takes first steps toward friendship

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 14, 2005

National

National

Mufti takes first steps toward friendship

By Shujaat Bukhari

PEACE WALK: The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, inspecting the road at Kaman Post in Uri (Zero Post), about 118 km from Srinagar on Sunday. The road is being repaired before the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service starts on April 7. — Photo: Nissar Ahmad

SRINAGAR, MARCH 13. When the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, took a few steps on the Kaman Bridge today, he became the first civilian leader to set foot on it after nearly 50 years. Mr. Sayeed was inspecting the repair works on the bridge on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road in Uri.

There has been no civilian movement on the bridge since the Jhelum Valley Cart Road — as it was then known, was abandoned in 1956. Officials of the United Nations Military Observers Group for India and Pakistan some times used the bridge to cross over to the other side, but only till 1989.

STRONG FOUNDATION: Workers repairing the road leading to Muzaffarabad at Kaman Post near the Line of Control about 118 km from Srinagar on Sunday. — Photo: Nissar Ahmad

Now, the engineers of the Indian and the Pakistani Army are striving hard to get the bridge repaired before April 7. Army officers told Mr. Sayeed on his arrival at Uri that the work would be completed by March 31, a week ahead of schedule.

Bridge of friendship

Mr. Sayeed told presspersons that by taking the historic decision to start the bus service, both India and Pakistan had shown respect for the aspirations of the people living on both sides. "This is a great stride in the normalisation process between India and Pakistan and would strengthen the bonds between the two peoples. You will see, there are many things in the pipeline."

He said there was no "symbolism" involved in the decision. It would begin with a bus, then cars would follow and finally it would open for trade. "He (Prime Minister) reposed confidence in the people of the State and did not keep travel hostage to visa and passport [formalities]."

The opening of the road is the first step towards restoring Kashmir's greatness. "Kashmir has remained the door to Central Asia and it will continue to be the same," he said.

Mr. Sayeed said the State had been a bone of contention between the two countries but now the bridge would bring them closer.

"Only a year ago, nobody believed that the road to Muzaffarabad could be opened. When signposts (showing the distance) were erected at several places between Kashmir and Muzaffarabad, many laughed at the idea. But I was very confident that the day would soon arrive when this dream of the people of Jammu and Kashmir would be realised."

Describing the opening of the Jhelum Valley Road as the "mother of all confidence-building measures" taken so far by India and Pakistan, he hoped it would pave the way for the opening of other roads such as Kargil to Iskardu, Suchetgarh to Sialkote and Mendhar to Kotli.

Asked if he was keen to travel in the first bus, Mr. Sayeed replied in the affirmative but quickly added: "I want the members of the divided families to travel first."

He also inspected the construction of the tourist reception centre at Salamabad where 28 kanals of land had been acquired to erect pre-fabricated structures. The work would be completed by month-end.

A senior Army officer said they had de-mined around 400 meters in the recent past. "They (pointing across the LoC) have also been de-mining."

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