SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday said that Pakistan was not interested in trade across the Line of Control (LoC) while both the State and Central Governments were ready for that.

After laying the foundation stone for a health centre at Salamabad near Uri, Mr. Azad told reporters that if Pakistan extended cooperation, the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road could be opened for trade, as "we are ready in all respects." The health centre is coming up at Salamabad near LoC with the full support of Chief Justice's Relief Fund.

Demilitarisation

To a question about demilitarisation, Mr. Azad said that time was not ripe for the same. "As and when the situation is conducive, the Army will automatically go back to barracks." Without naming the People's Democratic Party (PDP), he said: "Some people are trying to use the issue for their political gains and thus helping those who believe in violence." Instead they should help consolidate process for restoring peace in the State. He said that due to violence, the people of the State were facing loss on the economic front.

Mr. Azad expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi for support and assistance to the people affected by the earthquake. He said that Rs. 586 crore had been distributed as relief in Baramulla, Kupwara and Poonch districts adding that Rs.178 crore was provided in Uri alone for cases such as damaged houses, relief to quake victims and injured.

Mr. Azad said the Central assistance was unprecedented and Rs. 1.35 lakh was provided for fully damaged houses in each case as against Rs. 25,000 provided at other places of the country. He said that 350 sorties were carried out in Uri and Tangdhar by the Air Force, saving 650 people. As many as 2,000 major and minor operations were conducted to save the injured while 28,000 tents, 5 lakh blankets, 40,000 tarpaulins and hundreds of trucks of essentials from various States were provided to the affected people.

Mr. Azad asserted that attention would be focused on infrastructure as 98 per cent of the affected people had been provided relief. The remaining two per cent would receive the third instalment as soon as they raised houses up to the plinth level.

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