Mirwaiz suggests 'Rahdari' to resume Kashmir bus service
Pakistan Times Kashmir Desk

SRINAGAR: Senior Hurriyat leader and head of Awami Action Committee suggested that to resolve the stalemate over resumption of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, the pre 1953 " Rahdari" system should be re-introduced under which a letter from the local District Commissioner is recognized as a travel document.

Terming the resumption of the bus link between the two neighbours as the "biggest step", he said both countries should accept the system that was in place between the two countries till 1953, allowing travel between the two countries.

This would solve the problem about the documents to be carried by the passengers, he told Gulf news in a recent interview.

Officials from the two countries met in New Delhi on December seven and eight to work out modalities of restarting the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad transport link.

However, the talks concluded without agreement as the two sides failed to resolve the contentious issue of the documents to be carried by passengers.

The Mirwaiz said, Pakistan had shown flexibility in its stand on Kashmir, but India's stance still remained vague with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying he was willing to talk to all sides.

He asserted that the Kashmiris were Central to the dialogue process and without their inclusion in it there could be no peace.●