New Delhi, August 16
Finding itself at the receiving end of separatists, the Centre today emphasised there is no truth in the propaganda that the “economic blockade” in the Kashmir Valley is continuing and that India is to blame for the delay in opening the trade route to Muzaffarabad.

In a lengthy statement, put out late tonight after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reviewed the situation in the strife-torn state of Jammu and Kashmir with his senior Cabinet colleagues, the Centre underlined that after the initial disruptions over the Amarnath Temple land dispute, the national highway has been cleared of all bottlenecks for transportation of goods and traffic.

On the other hand, it was stated, it is the calls for bandhs and other protests in the Kashmir Valley which have created difficulties in the free movement of goods even though the highway is through.

Putting the blame for this propaganda on elements who are opposed to normalisation of the situation in this sensitive state, the Centre said they have been using the alleged continuing “economic blockade” of the Kashmir Valley to raise demands and slogans for the opening of trade route to Muzaffarabad, across the Line of Control (LoC).

“An effort has been made by some elements to try and project that there have been delays on the part of the Government of India in the process of commencement of cross LoC trade,” the statement said, clearly referring to the Hurriyat’s Conference’s statement that New Delhi has not pursued this matter vigorously enough. The Centre pointed out that facts are otherwise.

New Delhi has actually been assiduously pursuing the matter but Pakistan has been slow to respond. “India is ready to commence cross-LoC trade, but awaits Pakistani willingness to implement the agreement reached in April 2005,” the statement said while hoping that the people in Jammu & Kashmir will not allow themselves to be influenced by misleading propaganda.

A number of decisions were taken to simplify cross-LoC movements at last month’s meeting of the working group on cross-LoC CBMs. India had proposed that cross-LoC trade begin as soon as possible on the basis of the lists of items proposed by each side for import and export. Pakistan, however, presented a fresh list, common for both imports and exports and certain other conditions.

When pressed, the Pakistan delegation agreed to reconsider so that trade could proceed on the basis of the earlier agreement on the basis of agreed lists for import and export of both sides.

“We had emphasised to Pakistan that it should not insist on procedural issues since that would tie up the whole issue in a morass of red tape and further delay the initiation of cross-LoC trade,” the statement said. Even the visits by the respective chambers of commerce agreed upon two years ago has still not materialised in the absence of clearance.