LAHORE, Dec 7: A large delegation will leave Pakistan on Dec 10 to participate in the three-day International Peace Conference being attended by 400 delegates from 26 countries at Kuru Khashetra in India from Dec 11.

Disclosing this at a press conference here on Tuesday, World Punjabi Congress Chairman Fakahar Zaman said that Haryana Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala announced holding of the Kuru Khashetra Peace Conference during his visit to the Punjab in the recent past. Peace festivals would also be held at Karnal, Anbala, Panipat, Chandigarh, Hassar, Jamnanagar and Gurgaon this month, he said.

Mr Zaman said the World Punjabi Congress planned to organize a peace conference at Mumbai or Kolkatta in India within the next three months. Delhi Chief Minister Mrs Sheila Dixit and the Hamachal Pardesh chief minister will be invited to attend the conference.

He said Indian Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Amrinder Singh, parliament members and prominent artistes like Hans Raj Hans, Gurdas Maan, Harbajjan Maan, Pammi Bhai and Punjabi dance groups will participate in the 11th four-day conference on peace, culture and literature at Lahore from April 17 next year.

The conference will be attended by 500 delegates from 50 countries all over the world. He said the World Punjabi Congress was also planning to organize peace festivals in other Indian cities like Kolkatta, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Lucknow and Rajasthan.

He said the Indian and Pakistani governments should issue multiple entry visas to enable the people to visit the two countries frequently. Visa should be ultimately replaced by entry permits.

Answering a question about MQM chief Altaf Hussain's statement, Fakhar Zaman said nobody was struggling for the so-called Greater Punjab referred to by him. People of both the countries wanted to normalize relations and work for peace respecting the sovereignty of their countries.