ISLAMABAD, Dec 24: The Citizen’s Peace Committee Rawalpindi/Islamabad (CPC) has urged both India and Pakistan to show restraint in the interests of over one billion people living in the two countries.

At a meeting held on Monday, the CPC discussed the alarming increase in tensions over the past few days between India and Pakistan.

The meeting was attended by the CPC members from across the twin cities and included students and a number of social and political activists.

The participants of the meeting expressed their concern at the unfolding events in the region.

Under some declarations, the CPC regretted that the Indian government had deemed it necessary to recall its high commissioner from Pakistan and simultaneously discontinued the bus and train service.

The committee also expressed concerned at the prospect of the cancellation of the Indus Water Treaty, as some Indian officials had suggested. It demanded of the Pakistani government to take necessary steps to ensure that the situation did not deteriorate further. They reiterated that violence was no response to any problem. In this regard, the CPC once again condemns the attack on the Indian parliament, and other such incidents in the past, the speakers said.

However, they said the CPC did not believe that such attacks could be stopped permanently by the use of retaliatory violence by any individual, group or country.

“This is as true for India in the present situation, as it was for the United States in its unparalleled destruction of Afghanistan,” they added.

The CPC urged that all sides should consider the root causes of violence and take thoughtful and peaceful steps to address these problems.

The CPC demanded of India to recognize Kashmiris’ right to self-determination and allow them to realize this right.

The committee said state-sponsored violence such as that be carried out in Kashmir and Palestine should be stopped at once.

“Partial definition of terrorism by states like India and Israel are not censured, which adds to the sense of deprivation and injustice among the people and draw them to extremist groups,” the participants said.