Vol. 8 Issue 7 - Public International Law & Policy Group

India and Pakistan have fought three wars, two of them over control of Kashmir, since they
won independence from British colonialists in 1947. A cease-fire line divides the Himalayan
territory between the rivals who claim it in entirety.
Kashmir opens airport to international traffic
Izhar Wani, Agence France Presse, 2/14/09
Revolt-hit Indian Kashmir opened its high-security airport to international traffic Saturday in
a move officials hope will lead to a tourism boom.
The upgraded airport terminal, equipped with modern features including escalators, aerobridges,
central heating systems and lifts, was inaugurated by Sonia Gandhi, the chief of
India's ruling Congress Party.
Minutes later the inaugural flight, from Dubai, landed at summer capital Srinagar's
international airport with over two dozen passengers.
Gandhi received the passengers as they disembarked from an Air India plane.
"It is a very happy moment for all of us," said Gandhi, adding that the new airport would
"boost tourism and help the locals."
Around 30 Kashmiris were to fly to Dubai later Saturday.
The project to upgrade the airport was approved by the Indian government in January 2005, a
year after India and Pakistan began a peace process to resolve their disputes, including one
over Kashmir.
Initially, there will be a flight between Dubai and Srinagar every Saturday, India's civil
aviation minister Praful Patil said.
"We will surely extend the service to other parts of the world," he said.
Violence has declined sharply in Kashmir since the start of the peace process, prompting
India to unleash a wave of economic plans to win over Kashmiri Muslims, most of whom
favor an independent Kashmir.
In October, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Gandhi inaugurated the first train service
in the Muslim-majority Kashmir valley.
It took four years to upgrade Srinagar's dilapidated airport, which is heavily guarded by
police and military after being stormed by rebels.
Kashmir was a major tourist destination before an Islamic insurgency against Indian rule
began in 1989. The unrest has so far left more than 47,000 people dead, according to an
official count.