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London, June 24 (KMS): The Executive Director of Kashmir Centre London, Professor Nazir Ahmed Shawl has welcomed the Foreign Secretaries level talks between Pakistan and India.

Professor Nazir Ahmed Shawl in a statement issued in London said that the talks could become a landmark event if efforts were started to create a congenial atmosphere not only in occupied Kashmir but also between the two neighbouring countries.

He said that for any forward movement, realisation of a peaceful atmosphere was vital due to many reasons. “The blame game must end, the trust deficit needs to be bridged and reciprocal steps need to be initiated. Some of the many stark realities are addressing the severity of human rights violations and the repeal of draconian laws like Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from occupied Kashmir,” Shawl added.

He said that what was essential was to create an ownership for the people of Jammu and Kashmir in the entire dialogue process once the modalities were set up and time frames worked out, as the authentic voices of Kashmir were required within the dialogue for a durable and just solution.