Chidambaram hopes for Indo-Pak ties

From GEO TV

Updated at: 1644 PST,  Saturday, October 23, 2010 NEW DELHI: India’s Home Minister P Chidambaram laid the foundation stone of the Rs 6.22 crore expanded viewers gallery at Joint Check Post (JCP) to Hussainiwala (Punjab). This would facilitate more tourists to visit the Indo-Pak border and witness the famous Retreat ceremony in which Border Security Force Jawans and Pakistan Rangers simultaneously lower the flags of their countries, ceremonially every evening. Chidambaram said that the expanded viewers gallery could accommodate 3,000 viewers and the whole area around the gallery would be landscaped. He added that the new gallery would have a modern canteen, toilets and a children park to attract more tourists. Earlier Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal had sought Chidambaram’s intervention in opening the Hussainiwala border for trade link with Pakistan; and a special central infrastructure package for upgrading schools, colleges and roads in the border area. Speaking on the occasion, Chidambaram said that he hoped for improvement of relations with Pakistan, in times to come and subsequent consolidation of trade links with the neighbouring country. “I don’t know when but I do know that a day will come, sooner rather than later, when Hussainiwala border will be opened for trade between India and Pakistan,” said the Union Minister in his address. Relations with Pakistan would improve, he hoped, and people of both countries would be able to travel more freely. “ We are earnest about building a good relationship with our neighbour and trade between the two countries must resume,” he asserted emphatically. He was conscious of the issues in the border areas of Punjab and is in regular correspondence with the Punjab Chief Minister, he added. Sukhbir Badal, deputy chief minister, Raman Srivastava, DGP, BSF, Janmeja Sekhon, irrigation minister, MP and MLAs of Ferozepur district and PS Gill, DGP, Punjab were among those who attended the function. The Union Minister handed over gift hampers to Pakistan Rangers and BSF Jawans. Although the entire stretch of the road up to the venue was dotted with Congress flags, PPCC general secretary Parminder Singh alleged that invitation had not been extended to Congressmen unlike workers of the ruling coalition. However, Congress MLA Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi was given a place on the dias. Reacting to the demand of Badal, the Union Home Minister hoped that "as things improve we could go more than half way to have better relations with Pakistan. Trade must resume with Pakistan. I sincerely hope it will come sooner than later". http://www.geo.tv/10-23-2010/73298.htm