KARACHI, Dec 15: Peace activists of Pakistan and India on Monday proposed a four-month peace march from Karachi to Delhi to promote peace, amity and understanding between the peoples of the two countries.

The idea of the ‘friendship march’ was floated by Dr Sandeep Pandey, National Convener of the National Alliance of Peoples Movement of India, at a news conference along with Mr Karamat Ali of Pakistan Institute of Labour, Education and Research (Piler) here on Monday.

The proposed 1,700-km-long friendship march is to commence on June 11, 2004 and reach Lahore on Sept 4 — 10th anniversary of the Pakistan-India Peoples Forum for Peace and Democracy.

After crossing into India via Wagha border, the friendship march would culminate at Rajghat in New Delhi on Oct 2. A joint convention of Pakistan and India chapters of the Forum would be held at the conclusion of the march.

According the plan announced by Dr Pandey, the marchers would walk 15-20 kms a day, staying overnight in scheduled villages, towns and cities enroute, interacting with thousands of people in both the countries and seeking their endorsement for an acceleration in the peace process.

Dr Pandey attended the sixth convention of the Forum, which called for an increased people-to-people contacts and removal of all barriers impeding travel between the two countries.

He was very active in pushing forward the agenda aimed at removing all restrictions on the travel and a regime of on-arrival visa.

He also endorsed the ‘Karachi Declaration’, adopted on the conclusion of the three-day convention which had held that non-delimitation of maritime boundaries was depriving thousands of fisherfolks of their livelihood. The convention had demanded immediate halt to the harassment faced by fishermen and also release and repatriation of those arrested with their boats, equipment and other property.

The convention urged the two governments to remove all restrictions on travel and pursue a regime of on-arrival visa.

It also emphasized the need for recognizing the universal right of divided families to reunion and allow cultural exchanges and interaction between civil society organizations to counter the atmosphere of hate and distrust. In this regard it mentioned the fields of literature, books, films, music, etc.

The convention urged Pakistan and India to settle Kashmir dispute in accordance with the aspirations of the people living on both sides of the LoC, withdraw troops and armed groups from there, and establish an effective and accountable mechanism to ensure protection to life and liberty of the people, especially women.

Dr Pandey said that future of the people of the two independent countries was contingent upon permanent peace and harmony. He said the proposed peace march would exacerbate the momentum of peace in South Asia.

Most of the delegates left Karachi for Lahore on way back home. They were given a warm send off at the railway station.