Omar for active engagement with Pak to resolve Kashmir issue

New Delhi: Asking the Government to have an “active engagement” with Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said without this a permanent and lasting solution to the Kashmir issue is unlikely to emerge. [caption id=“attachment_114728” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“Omar said the economic growth of the state was “inextricably linked” with the political resolution of the grievances and aspirations of its people. AFP Photo”]  [/caption] “The long term and permanent solution to the Kashmir issue is unlikely to emerge without an active engagement with Pakistan. The Cross-LOC trade and the bus service between the two sides will not yield further if we do not continue with the external dialogue process,” Omar said at the National Development Council meeting here chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Omar said the economic growth of the state was “inextricably linked” with the political resolution of the grievances and aspirations of the people and said the present global scenario and relative peace in the state was an opportunity to widen internal as well as extrenal dialogue process. “The outcome of a political roadmap will have great significance on the confidence of the investors also. In very brief terms, the state needs to be transformed from a “securitised” narrative to a political one,” he said and added that this would require the widening of the dialogue process — both internal as well as external. “The appointment of interlocutors was a very welcome step. We need to implement their recommendations without any further delay so as to effectively address the internal dimensions of the current situation. He said the relative peace in the state and the present global scenario provided an opportunity to move further on the dialogue process. PTI