KARACHI: Restoration of full diplomatic ties with India urged
By Our Reporter
KARACHI, May 13: Peace activists advocating confidence building measures between Pakistan and India on Tuesday called for full restoration of diplomatic relations and opening of all the routes for facilitating cultural, trade and people-to-people contact.
The demand was contained in resolutions adopted in a round-table conference on “Peace Initiative, the Next Moves for Pakistan” which was organized by the Pakistan Peace Coalition.
The conference also demanded of the two countries to open consulates in all the provincial capitals in Pakistan and asked India to reciprocate in a positive manner.
It was emphasized that all the outstanding issues and disputes should be resolved through peaceful means. Kashmiris of both sides should be included in the peace process.
The meeting also emphasized the need for SAARC to play due role in the promotion of trade and called for respecting sovereignty and independence of all the member states. It also called upon the two governments to forge a no war pact in the better interest of peace and prosperity of the South Asian region.
The participants maintained that salvation of both the countries lay in reconciliation and urged the two governments to restore communication links to pave way for people-to-people contact.
While most of the participants were in favour of opening the air, rail, road and sea links that were operative before 1965 war, a dissent was recorded on the opening of Khokhrapar route.
It was emphasized that Pakistan’s future was linked to democracy. The participants also suggested that the parliament should be taken into confidence over the settlement package which should ultimately be subject to approval by the elected body.
It was observed that doctors of the two countries could push forward the peace process by forming joint teams for providing treatment to the downtrodden. For protecting each other’s commercial interests, farmers and businessmen of the two countries could evolve a common strategy, despite Kashmir, for protecting their rights vis-a-vis basmati rice patent in the West, especially in view of the opening of their markets under WTO.
Some speakers were of the view that the Kashmir issue was being deliberately kept alive and unresolved to provide justification for maintaining huge armies. Some of the speakers also called for putting the Kashmir issue on the backburner for ten years so that efforts could be mounted to move forward on less contentious issues.
However, many of the speakers recognized that the significance of the Kashmir issue could not be disregarded and Kashmiris’ right of self determination should be recognized. It was suggested that the foreign media be allowed to visit the Indian held Kashmir to see for themselves the human tragedy caused by occupation.
The partition of Kashmir was not acceptable. A speaker said the perception that army does not want peace was incorrect. Speakers underscored the need for supporting the current peace overtures and for accepting the Indian prime minister’s moves on face value.
They warned that tension between Pakistan and India suited the vested interests in both the countries as well as the US and other western countries. It was suggested that India and Pakistan should agree to a mutual reduction in defence allocations in their budgets immediately to pave way for reduction in the strength of their armies.
It was suggested that the fund available through this measure should be diverted towards the welfare of people. It was noted that whenever democratic and elected governments came into power in Pakistan they had initiated the peace moves but non-democratic forces had always tried to obstruct and derail the peace process.
It was observed that peace talks between the two countries could be restarted from the point where they had been cut off during Nawaz Sharif’s tenure. It was also said that the Simla Accord could be the basis for a settlement.
During the discussion proposals for joint patrolling of the Line of Control to prevent and verify cross-border terrorism, if any, was repeated. The need for allowing the Kashmiris to freely move across the LoC was also mooted.
The round-table was chaired by M.B. Naqvi and was addressed, among others, by Zahida Hina, Fauzia Wahab, Taj Haider, Nafees Siddiqui, Ghulam Kibria, Gen Umar, Ms Anis Haroon and Khaliq Junejo.
