NEW DELHI, Sept 20: Former AJK prime minister Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan on Tuesday underscored the need for an ambience of trust between Pakistan and India to ensure forward movement towards lasting and durable resolution of Kashmir dispute.

Inaugurating a two-day “Heart to Heart Talks” on Kashmir, Mr Qayyum said that much expectation should not be attached with such meetings and seminars for the resolution of vexed issue of Kashmir.

He is heading a 10-member delegation, which has been invited to attend the conference, jointly organized by Indian Council of World Affairs and the Panthers Party.

Others who spoke at the inaugural session of the conference included Farooq Abdullah, supreme head of the National Conference; Harcharan Singh Josh, President ICWA; and Bhim Singh , chief of the Panthers Party.

Pleading to maintain conference at low profile, Mr Qayyum said that facts should be discussed during the talks, instead of making it game of number scoring.

He said that the trust deficit between the two countries needed to be mitigated to ensure concrete progress. He added that both sides should carve out such an agenda with the involvement of the people of Kashmir, which could help make headway towards solution of the problem.

The perception of victory or defeat should be done away with to achieve the raison d’etre of the talks, he said and added that the entire subcontinent was a victim of uncertainty and the burden was finally passed on to Kashmir.

The conference, he hoped, would help facilitate other opportunities for threadbare and frank discussions on the issue.

“We should make some contribution towards the resolution of the festering problem through holding candid, frank and extensive discussions,” he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Abdullah said that the prime objective of the conference was to help facilitate India and Pakistan in seeking the solution of Kashmir problem.

“We have to devise some proposals — acceptable to both India and Pakistan — to resolve the issue, he added.

Earlier talking to the media persons, Mr Qayyum said that the Pakistan-India peace process was at a slow pace, which needed to be accelerated.

Answering a series of questions as what were the hopes about the outcome of the ‘Heart to Heart Talks,’ the AJK leader noted that the issue was very complex, therefore, no miracle should be expected from such events.

Earlier leaders from Azad Jammu and Kashmir were accorded a warm welcome as this is the maiden interaction between the leaders of Azad and held Kashmir.

—APP