KARACHI, June 5: Speakers at a seminar on Pakistan-India Relations — New Dimensions expressed the view that the ongoing peace process between the two countries could sustain only if, besides politicians and military generals, people of both parts of Kashmir were given representation in the process.

“There are very little efforts on behalf of the masses to give a boost to the peace process,” said Abid Hasan Mantoo who was presiding over the seminar, held under the auspices of a monthly magazine here on Saturday to tribute to the distinguish peace activist and scholar, late Dr Iqbal Ahmed.

The speakers stressed that religion should not be allowed to become a barrier in the process. They strongly criticized the role of army and religious extremists in preventing the diversified and moderate mentality of people from getting matured.

Mr Mantoo deplored militarization by Pakistan to maintain its status of a ‘security state’ at the mercy of foreign aid. He said inclusion of people in the peace process was imperative, and stressed: “We should ensure our contribution in this regard.”

He observed that in Pakistan, only the elite class — Sardars and other influential figures — had been at the helm of the affairs, domestic or foreign.

He called for a review of the textbooks to see if their contents promoted hatred in younger generation.

Dr Syed Sikandar Mehdi said peace process should continue through exchange of politicians and people between the two nations.

Zafarullah Pochni said India had now realized that for a better economy and her ticket to the UN Security Council, resolution of the Kashmir dispute was essential.

“We also have to see if our national interests lied in peace,” he said, and rejected the idea that an interaction between Muslim and Hindu communities was impossible.

Dr Pervez and Dr Mubarak Ali paid rich tributes to Iqbal Ahmed and describing him as a prominent figure in the anti-Vietnam and pro-Palestine movements. Dr Pervez recalled that Iqbal Ahmed had predicted about 10 years before the 9/11 tragedy that such developments could take place.—PPI