Soz welcomes Indo-Pak pact on cross-border trade

Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz on Friday said the exchange of men and materials would usher in a new era of peace in the sub-continent.

SRINAGAR: Describing the Indo-Pak pact on opening cross-LoC trade in Jammu and Kashmir as "historic", Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz on Friday said the exchange of men and materials would usher in a new era of peace in the sub-continent.

"Although initially the trade across Line of control (LoC) will be on a modest scale, it (trade) will gather momentum over a period of time and exchange of men and materials will usher in a new era of peace and fulfilment," Soz said in a statement here.

Soz, who also heads the Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Congress, congratulated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the decision to open Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Poonch-Rawalakote roads for cross-border trade.

He termed this gesture of the Centre as a bold step towards promotion and strengthening of good neighbourly ties with Pakistan and hoped that over a period of time it will be a situation of brisk trade and travel.

The very exchange of the lists of commodities and decision of tariff-free trade across the border is a heartening idea and the Prime Minister of India deserves great appreciation for this, he said.

"The agreement between the Prime Minister and the Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari is of historic importance," Soz said.
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Stating that he had been one of the promoters of this idea (opening of cross-LoC trade), Soz said a lot of effort had gone into facilitating trade across the border.
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