Time to bring Karnah on tourism map: Er Rasheed
Karnah: AIP President Er Rasheed Wednesday asked the government to bring Karnah valley in north Kashmir on tourist map.
Interacting with people at Kona Gabra, Nawa Gabra, Khowerpara, Bagh Bela, Hajinaar Nichyan and other areas on the conlcluding day of his three day visit to the area, Rasheed said that people of Karnah had a right to live a dignified and honored life.
“Depriving them of their fundamental rights should be matter of shame for any government,” he said.
Rasheed said that in absence of any horticulture or agriculture sector ib the border area, the youth of Karnah “feel highly frustrated”.
“Due to the continuous tension at borders, government has forgotten the tourism sector despite the entire Karnah valley having huge potential,” he said.
He urged India and Pakistan to “at least allow people of border areas to breath with some freedom and should encourage border tourism, so that it creates huge opportunities for the locals to earn their livelihood”.
“It is time for the government to give up excuses and bring Ragni, Taya, Zarla, Shamsbari, Dudi, Jatti and other beautiful places on the tourist map”.
Rasheed said it was time for administration to “change its attitude or people will be forced to shake the conscience of those at the helm of affairs”. Concluding his three day tour to the valley, Rasheed thanked masses for listening him and assured that the “struggle to protect and fight for the rights of Karnah will continue and will be taken to logical end”.
Rasheed added that rather suspecting everyone on either side of LOC governments of India and Pakistan should stop doubting those whose history is older than that of India and Pakistan itself.
“While world has moved much forward it is time for New Delhi and Islamabad to recognize the rights of people living on either side of Kashmir across LOC,” he said.
The least the two countries can do, he said, was to facilitate people to people contact, allow people to help each other in time of eventualities and allow at least students on two sides of LOC to have educational tours and other related activities.
He added that both the governments must allow devotees to visit Sharda Peeth Temple, Chatkadi shrine and other religious places so that people of either side are able to perform their religious rituals.
“If national highway can be closed for weeks together to facilitate Amarnath Yatris coming from every nook and corner of India, a corridor can be made for Sikh devotees at Kartarpur, what is the legal and moral authority to bar Kashmiris from offering their rituals and worship on the shrines and other places located in Indian and Pakistani controls Kashmir,” he said.
KV Correspondent
