Opening of visa offices urged: Karachi-Mumbai link
By Our Staff Reporter
Karachi, April 25: Over a dozen speakers from a big representative gathering of businessmen, media persons and academics called for urgent opening of India and Pakistan visa offices in Karachi and Mumbai and an early resumption of sea and overland transportation between the two mega cities of South Asia, a press release of the South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA) announced on Tuesday.
“The speed at which the two governments of India and Pakistan are taking decisions on normalisation of mutual relationship does not match the aspirations of the people of these countries,” a Jodia Bazar business leader remarked on Tuesday at the consultative seminar organised by SAFMA, Sindh chapter, held at a local hotel. The seminar was held on Karachi Mumbai synergies and opportunities.
“Unlimited business opportunities”, was the consensus view of those who spoke and gave their observations on the possible outcome of resumption of normal travel facilities between the two cities that are home to business families which have generations old relationship.
Nowhere in the world are such business groups of different communities and religions, but having close relationship, where goods are shipped from one country to the other on merely a telephone call or an internet chat.
Business leaders’ emphasis was on easing the visa facilities between the two countries and facilitation of sea and overland travel to bring about 20 million people of Mumbai and 14 million people of Karachi together.
The academics and students want setting up some sort of relations between the centres of higher learning in India and Pakistan so that they can benefit from the excellence attained in different disciplines.
“Why should not we consider sending our children to Delhi, Hyderabad, Banglore and other cities for higher learning in economics, business, physical sciences and other disciplines instead of sending them to far-off lands in Europe and the USA, a media fractioned said who argued that India was nearer and in close proximity and the cost of learning would be very cheap as compared to that of Europe and the USA. “The relationship network of our children during education in India will remain a permanent factor in the future,” he added.
“Don’t forget the best Urdu fiction by eminent writers like Manto, Ismat, Rajinder Singh Bedi, Krishan Chander and others was written in Mumbai and the language of Mumbai films is now spoken and understood in almost all the South Asian countries,” one of the participants said.
Ghazi Salahuddin, President of Karachi Press Club informed the seminar participants of the role played by the SAFMA in bridging the information gap between India and Pakistan and between the people of all member countries of South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
“We organised the meetings of the parliamentarians of all the member countries,” he said and pointed out that politicians of Pakistan and India belonging to all the parties had discussed bilateral issues on SAFMA forum.
He said that SAFMA organised a Punjab-Punjab dialogue, a Kashmir-Kashmir dialogue in which for the first time leaders and media persons of the two countries met and discussed the issues in a relaxed manner. In the same spirit, the SAFMA is now organising a Karachi-Mumbai dialogue. A delegation from Karachi will visit Mumbai next month and a delegation from Mumbai will come to Karachi on a return visit. Later in the year, an exchange of delegation between Sindh and Rajhastan is being planned.
Dr Monis Ahmar of the International Relations of Karachi University spoke at length on the on-going peace process of India and Pakistan which moves on despite many hurdles. “We cannot live forever in bitterness” he said.
Babar Ayaz, a media consultant, spoke of the similarities that existed between Mumbai and Karachi. He said that the Mumbai and Karachi shared very enterprising communities like Parsis, Bohris, Aga Khanis and many Gujrati speaking traders who were bound to contribute in improving trade and economic relations once the travel became easy and unhindered.
Mohammad Zoomkawala recited an English poem.
Anwar Pirzado suggested that efforts should be made to promote boat travel in shallow waters near shores of many small ports in India and Pakistan.
Kunwar Khalid Younis, an MQM MNA pointed out that cargo transportation by sea and overland was swift and the cheapest. He expressed the view that snapping of shipping links between Mumbai and Karachi has adversely impacted Pakistan’s economy.
