KARACHI, Sept 21: Speakers at a seminar on Friday stressed the need for launching a global movement against nuclear disarmament, and said that the peoples of Pakistan and India must a play a pivotal role in forcing their respective governments to cut their defence spending and divert the huge chunk of public money to the welfare of the masses.
The seminar was organised jointly by the Pakistan Peace Coalition and the Pakistan Doctors for Peace and Development at the PMA House to mark the International Peace Day.
The speakers, who included Dr Tipu Sultan, Dr Habib-ur-Rehman, Dr Qaisar Sajjad and Mr M.B. Kutti, observed that the peoples of the two neighbouring countries were facing socio-economic crises and a majority of them lived in abject poverty.
Lack of safe and clean drinking water and absence of better sewerage and drainage system, besides non-existence of an improved health system, appeared to be longstanding and common problems in the two countries but instead of resolving them, successive governments focused on acquiring conventional and nuclear weapons and indulged in a vicious cycle of arms race.
The speakers also severely criticised the recent US-India nuclear deal, saying that it would cast a catastrophic impact on the entire region. They observed that over the past few years, India faced many scandals and uproar within that country with regard to its dubious arms deals but nothing could deter it from going ahead with its military plans.
“The United Nations should declare the arms trade as illegal as the drug trade because the phenomenon eventually leads to mass killing and destruction. The UN should also set a limit for the production and possession of all kinds of arms,” they stressed.
Brig (retd) A.R. Saddiqui said there should be clear and separate definitions of the terms “possessing nuclear technology” and “being a nuclear power”. He was of the view that India, after signing the recent deal with the US, had caused a collapse of the entire architecture of the nuclear non-proliferation.
Expressing concern over deteriorating law and order in Pakistan, the speakers observed that the security situation in Pakistan was more alarming than in India.
“The basic requirement for a durable peace is promotion of mass education and training and improvement in health facilities. This will not only bring about prosperity but also secure the nation from all threats,” seasoned journalist M.B. Naqvi said.
