ISLAMABAD, June 9: Information and Broadcasting Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said on Thursday that the present scenario was a golden opportunity for Pakistan and India to resolve the Jammu and Kashmir issue. “Both India and Pakistan have an opportunity to resolve the core issue which is the main hurdle in the prosperity of the region,” the minister said in a discussion on a TV channel.

“If the issue of Kashmir is resolved, the world cannot imagine how much progress both the countries would make and record investment would come,” he said.

He said President Gen Pervez Musharraf had made honest, great and serious efforts for resolving the Kashmir issue, bringing out the masses from poverty and eliminating arms race between the two countries.

He said Pakistan was always ready to resolve the core issue in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiris.

He said trade between the two countries should be promoted and actions for welfare of their people initiated.

The minister said a number of confidence-building measures had been taken and now a CBM should be taken on the Kashmir issue. He said President Musharraf had taken a number of positive and bold steps for the resolution of the Kashmir issue but the problem could be resolved only if the steps were taken from both sides.

About his visit to occupied Kashmir, Sheikh Rashid said he was not going there as a minister but as a Kashmiri.

He expressed the hope that he would not be stopped from visiting held Kashmir.

He said the Kashmiri leadership of both the sides should be taken into confidence to resolve the issue.—APP