KARACHI, Jan 9: Any compromise on the exercise of right of self-determination by the people of Jammu and Kashmir will not lead to a durable peace in the region.

This was stated by the PPP's central information secretary Taj Haider on Friday. He emphasized the need for peace between the two nuclear neighbours. However, he was apprehensive that the barbed wire fencing along the Line of Control (LoC) was not being put to stop cross border infiltration. The fence was being put to check those, who would try to escape the brutal suppression and cross over to our side, said Mr Haider.

He said that any infiltration could be checked with the cease-fire along the LoC, which had already been effective. Mr Haider said that the two Karachi declarations, adopted by the civil society, could be the basis for peace in the region. One of these declarations was from the South Asia Labour Forum that called for drastic reduction of defence budgets to minimize the risk of armed conflicts. The money, thus, saved should be used for welfare of people, added the declaration.

The second declaration, adopted at the Pakistan-India Forum, recognized the right of self-determination of the people of Kashmir. -