Srinagar: National Conference on Saturday welcomed the diplomatic efforts by India and Pakistan for starting a fresh round of talks, saying that time was ripe for the neighboring countries to end hostility in the region.
"Talks between the neighbors are necessary to end the stalemate but we believe the dialogue should not be reduced to merely a tea-photo session between the leadership," NC general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar said while addressing party workers here.
"In the past, many such dialogues have taken place but small incidents in either countries punctured all those efforts," he said.
The NC leader said the people across the region have a strong yearning for peace and progress which can be bought only through dialogue.
"The hostility between India and Pakistan should be removed and both the countries should sit across the dialogue table and resolve their differences," he said.
He noted that Kashmiris were the "worst sufferers" of the hostility between India and Pakistan which has been continuing since many decades and the leadership of the countries should show empathy towards the people of the Valley.
The countries have fought four wars in the past but wars have yielded nothing so far and now peace should be given a chance, he said.
"Lingering the Kashmir issue has had a very bad impact on the state and people of the subcontinent have to face the brunt of this issue, which is unfortunate," Sagar said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had yesterday called his Pakistani counterpart Sharif and other heads of the SAARC nations participating in the ICC Cricket World Cup and conveyed his best wishes for the showpiece event.
Modi also announced "SAARC yatra" of Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar to strengthen India's relationship with the countries, including Pakistan.
