Restoring peace to J-K should be first priority: Sonia

United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi today said healing the two decades old wounds of Jammu and Kashmir and restoring peace in the State should be priority.

Srinagar, Sept 10 : United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi today said healing the two decades old wounds of Jammu and Kashmir and restoring peace in the State should be priority.

Addressing a women's rally, Sonia said: "The wounds are deep and go beyond the surface into the hearts and minds of the people. Healing these wounds and bringing peace back to the people should be our first priority."

Sonia said that the UPA Government is in favour of opening up of more avenues for the divided Kashmiris to meet and interact.

"Given the present situation in Kashmir, it is very important that people across the borders are able to interact with each other. To make people-to-people contact possible, we started the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad, Poonch-Rawlakot bus service," she said.

Earlier, hour before the arrival of Sonia here, unidentified militants targeted a bus carrying the ladies Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel.

The explosion took place when a bus carrying the CRPF personnel was passing through the area of Rainawari.

According to CRPF DIG M P Nathanael, the blast did minor injuries to some of the personnel.

ANI