A dialogue between India and Pakistan is the only way to bring lasting peace in the sub-continent, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed said Friday.

 

 Addressing a series of meetings in the border villages of Jammu region, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) leader said a dialogue can resolve all vexed problems.

 

 "Dialogue is one and the only way to solve all problems, and there is a need to accelerate the initiatives for resumption of a meaningful dialogue," he said.

 

 "Our party had convinced both India and Pakistan to announce a ceasefire in 2003 and take confidence building measures to restore peace in this region," he said. "Whatever steps we initiated for restoring peace, successive regimes in Delhi endorsed our stand from time to time."

 

 Sayeed expressed concern over the recent clashes between the Indian and Pakistani military along the Jammu and Kashmir border.

 

 Some concrete steps should be taken to avoid a re-occurrence of such incidents, which only bring hardship and miseries to the border residents, he said. He emphasized the need to expand the process of cross-LoC (Line of Control) cooperation and trade in Jammu and Kashmir.

 

 "India-Pakistan cooperation is the key to resolving the region's problems." The former chief minister also visited the residence of Mangal Dass that suffered damage due to shelling by Pakistan troops.

 

 

IANS