MIRPUR, Dec 1: The opposition leader in the Azad Kashmir Legislative Assembly (AJKLA), Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry, has expressed the hope that the recent initiative for confidence-building measures (CBM) by India and Pakistan would lead to a resumption of talks between the two countries for the peaceful resolution of all issues including the problem of Kashmir.

In a telephonic interview to APP on Monday, he said the two countries could not normalize their relations in true perspective unless the Kashmir issue, the major cause of tension, was resolved according to the aspirations of Kashmiris.

Sultan Mahmood, who is also former AJK prime minister and the PPP head in the AJKLA, said the supreme sacrifices of the Jammu and Kashmir people for the achievement of their right to self-determination would not be allowed to go in vein.

The Kashmiri leader said the global commitments made at the international level, including the UN resolutions for the solution of the Kashmir dispute, should be implemented in letter and spirit.

He reiterated that only a just and principled stance could help resolve this issue.

Appreciating Pakistan’s sincere efforts for an early and peaceful solution to the Kashmir problem, Barrister Sultan said Islamabad always stressed the need for adopting the way of talks for the settlement of this dispute, but New Delhi always responded negatively and deviated from the international norms.