PESHAWAR, June 16: The Pakistan-India People’s Forum for Peace and Democracy has urged Islamabad and New Delhi to start talks early and further defuse the tension on borders.

Speaking at a news conference here at the Peshawar Press Club, NWFP forum President Khwaja Wasim said it was the duty of both governments to allocate maximum funds for the other sectors instead of ballooning their defence budgets.

He said 10 years ago, the forum had also suggested India and Pakistan to solve their all problems through dialogue and discourage the trends of jingoism.

In the six-point objectives of the forum, resolution of the Kashmir problem had been identified as the core issue between the two neighbours. The forum had been demanding of the two countries to solve it through peaceful means, he added.

He suggested that a joint committee of the Kashmiri leaders living across the Line of Control (LOC) should be formed to explore the possibilities of a peaceful solution of the dispute, reflecting the aspirations of the Kashmiris.

Other office-bearers of the body— Gul Rehman, Sultan Mohammad, Dr Fazal Rahim Marwat, Hashim Raza, Qaisar Khan and Dr Adil Zareef— were also present on the occasion.