Islamabad, Mar 31: National Conference chief Omar Abdullah has said that his party was ready to accept any solution “better than autonomy” to resolve the Kashmir issue, but added that it must also be acceptable to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

“We are even ready to accept any other solution, which is acceptable to the people of the state and is better than the road map put forward by my party,” Omar said in his speech at the Pugwash Conference here.

He further said that the issue couldn’t be resolved unless the people of the state were involved in the dialogue process between India and Pakistan.

Highlighting that the Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) taken by both the countries have failed to achieve the desired results, Omar emphasised that the Kashmir issue cannot be frozen and left for the future generation.

“Much was talked about the CBMs and its long lasting effect,” said Omar, adding, “But today it is known to every one that the steps taken so far have failed to achieve the desired result which is a clear indication that much more need to be done at the ground level.”

Omar suggested that the government of the two countries must set a peace commission to “heal the open wounds, which the decades old Kashmir issue has created.”

He went on to say that the people living on both sides of the Line of Control (LoC) have experienced tremendous hardships.

“The buses which were supposed to join the people of the two countries have not been able to join people but instead the troublesome procedures and never ending wait has played with sentiments of the divided families living on the two sides of border,” said Omar.

He said that his party has been demanding easing of travel restrictions via the LoC so that the CBMs can benefit the people in general.

“We want the travel between the two parts of the state to be eased on the pattern of the European Union without any restrictions,” etala'at News Service quoted him, as saying.

“We hope that trucks carrying goods will soon ply to and fro on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road, which will not only boost the economy of the region but will also help in boosting the confidence of the common masses in the state,” Omar added. (ANI)