Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today favoured dialogue between India and Pakistan for lasting peace in the region saying guns will never be able to overpower the peace loving people of the state.
He termed Jammu and Kashmir as a symbol of India's diversity.
"J-K is a symbol of Indian diversity. The state holds a special place as the only Muslim majority state in the federal structure of the country," Sayeed said addressing a gathering after inaugurating Pahalgam Club at the famous resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir.
Favouring dialogue between India and Pakistan for ushering in lasting peace in the region, the Chief Minister said "gun never has and never will be able to overpower the peace loving people of the state."
"If India has to emerge as a major global power, it will have to maintain friendly relations with all its neighbours, including Pakistan," he said, adding Jammu and Kashmir enjoys a special status guaranteed under the Indian Constitution.
Sayeed said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was totally focused on the development of Jammu and Kashmir.
"I must say the Prime Minister has a vision for overall and equitable development of the state," he said, while resolving to make J-K a model state of the country.
Hailing the farsightedness of the leaders during the country's freedom struggle, the Chief Minister said the future of the state lies with India, as Mahatma Gandhi saw a ray of hope in J-K when the entire country was burning in a communal frenzy in the days leading to independence.
"J-K is a bouquet of three distinct cultures where people of all faiths have lived in complete harmony for decades," he said, while hailing the state's unique multiculturalism.
Referring to the difficult times the state fell upon during the last two decades, the Chief Minister said the basic elements of brotherhood and mutual coexistence have remained unscathed all these years, which is a tribute to the people of the state.
Describing peace as a prerequisite for development of the state, Sayeed recalled his initiative of uniting the divided families across the Line of Control (LoC) in 2005 by launching the cross-LoC bus service.
"I still remember how people became nostalgic and looked with tearful eyes when the first bus arrived in Srinagar from Muzaffarbad," he said.
