Home > News > Report
'Allow Kashmiris to freely cross LoC'
Onkar Singh in New Delhi |
September 28, 2004 15:10 IST
Moulvi Abbas Ansari, former chairman of the All-Parties Hurriyat Conference, has demanded that the governments of India and Pakistan allow people on both sides of Kashmir to freely cross the Line of Control.
 | Also Read | | |
|
"Since the talks would take a long time to conclude, the governments of India and Pakistan should allow the people of Kashmir on either side of the LoC to meet each other without any passport. The two governments could insist on travel documents if someone wants to visit Pakistan or Pakistanis want to visit India," he told rediff.com from his home in Srinagar.He welcomed Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil's offer to hold unconditional talks with the Hurriyat Conference.
"But he must not change his stand. They say one thing one day and another the next," Ansari said.
He lauded the government's gesture of allowing a group of Pakistani journalists to visit Kashmir from October 2 onwards and report from the valley.
He did not mention any specific date for resumption of talks between the government and the Hurriyat.
"We have several solutions (for the Kashmir issue) in mind, which we would offer when the two governments invite people of Kashmir for discussions. But until then, let Kashmiris on either side of the border see how we live," he said.