LAHORE: Hundreds of peace activists from India and Pakistan participated in a candlelit vigil on Wagah/Attari borders on the night between Aug 14 and 15 to pay homage to the freedom struggle.

The event was organised by the South Asia Free Media Association (Safma) on Wagah border and Hind-Pak Dosti Manch and Folklore Academy on Attari border in India.

The participants, carrying placards reading ‘Humanity not barbarism, Peace not conflict’, ‘Talks not confrontations’, ‘End to proxy wars and terrorism’, ‘End to repression in Kashmir’, ‘Free visa, free trade’, ‘Peace in Afghanistan’ etc shouted slogans for peace and friendship among peoples from both sides of the border. They called for normalisation of relations and resumption of talks between Islamabad and New Delhi and protested against proxy wars, terrorism and repression of people in Kashmir.

They were also carrying portraits of great humanitarian Abdul Sattar Edhi. The activists on both sides also lit candles.

Safma Secretary General Imtiaz Alam appealed to both governments to resume dialogue at security advisers’ level for addressing issues of terrorism and proxy wars.

He also called for restoring the foreign secretary-level Composite Dialogue in which Kashmir should also figure.

He also urged amity rather than enmity, bringing down tension and stop fomenting trouble through proxy wars against each other.

The candlelit vigil is organised on both sides of the border every year whereas seminars and cultural programmes are also held by Safma and the Manch to commemorate freedom and friendship on independence days of both South Asian neighbours.

Published in Dawn, August 16th, 2016