Monday, May 12, 2008, Jamadi-ul-Awwal 5, 1429    

India, Pakistan enjoy best ever relations: Sinha

Srinagar—Governor Lt. General (Retd) S K Sinha has said that Indo-Pak relations have taken a dramatic and favourable turn during the past couple of years or so and the situation is conducive for resolving all unsettled problems, a spokesman of Rajbhavan said in a statement.
The statement reads: “In an hour-long interaction with British High Commissioner in India, Sir Richard Stagg, at Raj Bhavan here, General Sinha said flexibility in approach towards solving problems on both sides and restoration of democracy in Pakistan would strengthen bilateral relations, which will steer the region to peace and prosperity.
He noted with satisfaction the depleted hostility towards India in Pakistan and said that even the Pakistani media is no longer indulging in fire and brimstone against India.”
The statement reads: “He said Jammu and Kashmir is also going to polls later this year and this unfolds an opportunity to the people and parties to demonstrate their representative character. Any claim to be the representative of the people of Kashmir is hollow unless that claim is supported by the people through an electoral process. On the basis of any media support or support from a foreign country, one cannot become a mass leader, reports GKNS.
He said the people of Jammu and Kashmir have demonstrated their will in a democratic manner several times in the past six decades. He said democracy was deep rooted in Jammu and Kashmir and it enjoyed self-governance much more than any other part of the India, which is known the world over as the most vibrant democracy.”
“He added that fundamentalism is not going to help either Kashmir or Pakistan. He spoke at length about the diversity of Jammu and Kashmir and eulogized the pluralistic ethos of its people. He said that the extremists do not have much popular support,” the statement said.
The governor told the visiting delegation that sustained efforts have resulted in economic development although much more is required to be done and added the people below the poverty line in Jammu and Kashmir is 3.7 per against the Indian average of 26 per cent.
“When asked how he envisions the future of the Indo-Pak region, the Governor said that economic issues will dominate and prevail over the political problems.—NNI