KARACHI, Jan 12: Expressing concern over the prevailing war-like situation between Pakistan and India, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief, Altaf Husain, has said both the countries should withdraw their forces from the borders and hold meaningful and sincere dialogue.

In a statement from London on Saturday, he said negotiations should be re- initiated, friendly relations be established and the borders, including the Khokhrapar route, be opened. He said his party stood for peaceful solution of the present crisis.

Seeing the Kashmir issue as the main reason behind bitter relations between Pakistan and India, the Muttahida chief expressed the view that violence and terrorism had failed in resolving the issue of Kashmir in the past 54 years, and this way the issue would not be resolved in the next 54 years as well.

He said war between the two countries could not be in the larger interest of both the countries and their people. Both the countries fought three wars at huge cost, and Pakistan suffered most as compared with India, he added.

To avert any major loss and to overcome the present crisis, Mr Husain called for flexibility on both sides. “If Pakistan could abandon supporting the Taliban to save itself, then why it could not adopt a flexible attitude to settle the present standoff in order to save Pakistan,” he said and suggested that “the Line of Control could possibly be considered a permanent solution to the longstanding Kashmir issue.”

He urged the leaders of the two countries to calm down and engage in meaningful and sincere dialogue to settle their differences and outstanding issues. The armed forces of both the countries should be pulled back 10 miles from the borders and patronage and support to terrorist outfits must be stopped, he said.

RECRUITMENT: The Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s coordination committee has urged the police authorities to extend the date for submission of forms for recruitment in the Sindh police.