Indian minister calls for easing tension at Indian-Pakistani borders

India's renewable energy minister Farooq Abdullah Saturday said India and Pakistan should reachet down tension at their borders to make progress and prosper like European nations. Abdullah said, "Softening (of tension at the) borders has transformed the socio-economic landscape of entire Europe and I don't see any reason why Indo-Pak region will not progress and prosper once there is mutual trust and strong bonding between the two nations." Abdullah, who is also the patron of pro-Indian party national Conference in disputed Kashmir, was speaking in a public gathering at Mendhar area near the de facto border Line of Control (LoC) in Indian-administered Kashmir. Envisioning a new beginning in India-Pakistan relations, Abdullah said that bonds of friendship between the two neighbours would help in solving the problems of millions on either side of the border and LoC. He said that opening of roads will herald a new era of understanding, give boost to trade, commerce and tourism and "above all open new vistas of people to people contact", which he described held the key to peace and stability in the region. The South Asian rivals have fought two of their three wars over the disputed territory and have yet to tackle the core issues of the Kashmir dispute, sovereignty and control of territory. Armed rebels from almost 14 groups are fighting Indian soldiers in Kashmir in a confrontation aimed at independence of Kashmir or merger of the territory with Pakistan.