Hailing the successful completion of four years of the Indo-Pak ceasefire, Peoples Democratic Party leader Mufti Mohammed Sayeed has called for free movement of people and goods on the road links between the two countries.
"Why should Sikh pilgrims from our state travel all along to Wagah to visit Nankana Sahib in Pakistan when they could reach there faster through the Suchetgarh-Sialkot road," Mufti said.
Urging for traditional cross-border road links in the state to be reopened, the former state chief minister said allowing free movement of people and goods would be the "next biggest confidence building measure in the region."
Sayeed, addressing a public meeting at Vijaypur area of Samba district on Thursday, hoped for "concrete forward movement on CBMs specific to the state" between the two nations with the "stabilisation" of the situation in Pakistan.
The former chief minister said the PDP was fast gaining strength in Jammu region despite being targeted of propaganda by various parties, groups and individuals.
"People now judge the politicians on their merits. Nobody can befool them through emotional slogans," he said.
Blaming "narrow-minded politicians for sustaining regional and partisan sentiments for their own political survival," Sayeed asked people to dismantle "all such imaginary barriers and reap the benefits of globalisation."
In the present situation, the economy is fast over-riding politics, making even the borders between the countries irrelevant, he added.