LAHORE, June 12: Kewal Dheer, a short story writer from Ludhiana, has urged Pakistani and Indian writers and intellectuals to push their governments to ease the visa policy.

Mr Dheer was speaking to a gathering at Alhamra Adabi Baithak on The Mall on Tuesday that was part of an evening organised in his honour by Lahore Arts Council Board of Governors Chairman Attaul Haq Qasmi.

Celebrated short story writer Intizar Hussain presided over the function, where Dr Saleem Akhtar was the guest of honour.

Mr Dheer said Indian and Pakistani people faced difficulties in meeting each other due to strict visa policies in the two countries. “We should persuade our governments to soften visa restrictions to increase people to people contacts,” said the writer.

He said there was no exchange of literature due to less interaction between writers and intellectuals of the two countries. Pakistani writer was unaware of what was being written in India and vice versa. He said a small number of politicians on both sides of the border was trying to keep people of the two countries from meeting each other.

On a rather emotional note, Mr Dheer recalled his childhood days in Pakistan and said one could not be separated from his birthplace. He said his father, who was a doctor, completed his medical education from Lahore before the partition and was appointed in Okara. He also served in Vehari, where he was born. His family migrated to India in 1947.

Mr Hussain said writers and intellectuals had been the ambassadors of peace between the two countries for long. He said whenever an Indian writer visited Pakistan or a Pakistani writer went to India the occasion had never been less than a big celebration. He said journalists of both sides had been visiting each other more than writers and conveying the message of peace and love. Besides, writers and journalists, musicians of both sides played a role in increasing people to people contacts, he added.

Mr Hussain said Pakistan and India were like twin children who quarreled with each other, but they could not live without each other. Dr Akhtar said writers of both countries were active as peace ambassadors much before journalists.

Mr Qasmi praised Mr Dheer for his contribution to Urdu literature.

Noted playwright Asghar Nadeem Syed said short story tradition in the subcontinent was 110 years old. He said as a writer Mr Dheer was very much connected to his roots and culture.

Writer and intellectual Khalid Ahmed laid stress on a wider interaction between writers of India and Pakistan through exchange programmes.

The gathering on the occasion was not that impressive and vacant seats were filled by staff and music students of Alhamra Art Center.

Youngsters continued to disturb the function and the noisy door of Alhamra Adabi Baithak was a constant source of annoyance for every one sitting there.