Leaders from Indian-controlled Kashmir and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir Thursday urged India and Pakistan to consider reduction of troops and paramilitary forces deployed along the Line of Control (LoC).

"We urge all concerned to avoid all types of violence as it is detrimental to peace and stability in region. The two sides also recommend to both the governments to consider reduction of troops and para-military forces on both sides," former president of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir Sardar Abdul Qayyum said while reading out the 16-point Conclusion of the Conference at the end of the three-day "heart-to-heart" conference here Thursday.

However, Qayyum, who led the 16-member delegation at the conference, made it clear that the appeal had nothing to do with terrorism but was about the violence in general in both sides of Kashmir.

Though the "heart-to-heart" conference of the political leaders, academicians and intellectuals from the two sides of Kashmir failed to adopt any resolution to resolve the vexed Kashmir problem, it expresses satisfaction over holding the first-ever such meeting.

The conference brought together leaders from Indian-controlled Kashmir and Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, the first such meeting since the partition of the subcontinent in 1947.

The delegates expressed hope that the conference would help in the ongoing peace process.

"We earnestly hope that this forum will be broadened to forge a consensus for further confidence building measures which includes opening up of at least six bus routes between the two parts of Kashmir," Qayyum said.

India and Pakistan are currently engaged in peace talks to resolve their all long-standing issues including Kashmir.

The delegates also arrived at a consensus that there should be a review of the detenu cases and declaration of general amnesty to prisoners detained in each others country.

While acknowledging cooperation extended by Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in providing visa facilities, the delegates also recommended that trade relations and tourism be revived as soon as possible.

Earlier, Qayyum called on former Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee at his residence and appraised him of the deleberations at the meet.

After the meeting, Vajpayee said that he was all for more and more intra-Kashmir gatherings as well as people to people contacts between India and Pakistan. He also supported the move.

Vajpayee's National Democratic Alliance government, which lost people's mandate during the 2004 Parliamentary elections in the country, had initiated the dialogue process with Pakistan in early 2004.

Source: Xinhua