LAHORE, May 7: Violation of the Indus Basin Treaty by the Indian government may damage the ongoing peace process between New Delhi and Islamabad, apprehends Dr Sundip Pandey, who is leading the Delhi-Multan peace march. Dr Pandey, heading a 13-member peace delegation, including two children, a woman and Japanese monk Sueki Guchi, was talking to Dawn at Wagah here on Saturday.

However, he was optimistic that the readiness of leadership of both the countries to hold negotiations would bear fruit and pave way for amicably solving water and other disputes between the two nuclear neighbours.

The Indian peace marchers earlier wanted to cross borders on foot on April 21 but the Pakistan authorities denied them visa citing security problem on their proposed route to Multan.

Dr Pandey said the difficulties the peace marchers faced depicted that the mentality of bureaucrats on both sides had not yet changed.

“They are not yet allowing us on-foot march,” he said hoping, the frame of mind would shift gradually.

Asked what solution the proponents of peace march suggest for Kashmir, he said the issue should be left up to Kashmiris.

All the Kashmiri leadership, including militant groups, should be engaged in dialogue while the opinion of a common Kashmiri should also be kept in view in deciding future of the valley, he added.

He did not agree with the suggestion that the peace process had slowed down after the Congress came into power in New Delhi. “The process has been rather taken seriously by the Congress.”

Though the Vajpayee’s BJP has initiated the peace process, it was also responsible for causing tension between the two neighbours, Dr Pandey said, referring to severing of all road, rail and air links by the BJP government on Dec 31, 2001 after an attack on the Indian parliament allegedly by pro-Islamabad militants.

Earlier, Dr Mubashar Hasan, Shahtaj Qizilbash, Farooq Tariq, and other members of the Joint Action Committee received the delegation at the Wagah border.

The delegation members entered Pakistan chanting slogans of peace, demanding end to violence in Kashmir, opening of borders between the two countries.

The Indian and local peace marchers will leave for Multan on May 10 in buses to attend a peace seminar there on May 11.