Hurriyat faction chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said on Thursday that “trust deficit between India and Pakistan was holding up resolution of the Kashmir issue.”
“The continuation of this dispute has made the situation in Kashmir more volatile and unstable. There is a trust deficit between the two countries. Whenever an effort is made to overcome this trust deficit, it’s overshadowed by some unfortunate incident, pushing the situation back to square one,” said the Mirwaiz in a speech read out at a seminar organised by Young Parliamentarians Forum in Pakistan’s National Assembly on Thursday.
The Mirwaiz warned of major nuclear confrontation if the issue remained unresolved. “Besides the humanitarian aspect, this dispute is a serious threat to peace and security in the entire region... A spark in the nuclear arsenal of these countries, even by accident or misunderstanding, can bring a nuclear holocaust to the region,” said the Mirwaiz.
He asked the global community “to come forward and play their role in the resolution of the Kashmir dispute.”
PDP calls for consensus
Meanwhile, in Srinagar, the ruling Peoples Democratic Party leader Peerzada Mansoor on Thursday called for political will and broader consensus to address the issues concerning J&K.
“The Government of India must engage with the people to find a lasting solution to the issues,” said Mr. Mansoor.
