RAWALPINDI, Nov 26: The Institute of Peace and Development, a think-tank working for promotion of peace and development in South Asia, has appreciated the efforts being made by South Asia Free Media Association (Safma) to create harmony in the region.

It hopes the association's efforts will bear fruit and bring the two neighbours, India and Pakistan, closer together and play an effective role in ending the long-standing irritants between them.

The institute has put forward some proposals for the consideration of Safma which, the it hopes, will go a long way in bringing peace to the region. To begin with, the institute has emphasized free movement and frequent meetings between the leadership of both the countries.

It proposed that a war crimes tribunal should be constituted for the trial of army personnel found involved in indiscriminate killing of civilians in the held Kashmir.

According to the institute, the Line of Control should be declared a 'demilitarized zone' and a peace park should be established there where people from both the sides be allowed to meet unconditionally thereby providing an opportunity to resolve their differences in a friendly atmosphere.

All detained persons held at various detention centres without any lawful authority, including women and youth, should be released unconditionally. The proposals demand withdrawal of what it termed 'unsolicited' claims of insurgency and 'Atoot Ang' by India.

The leadership of All Parties Hurriyat Conference should be allowed free movement to and from Pakistan all over the world. n the same way, Kashmiri delegations should be granted unconditional access to Indian-held Kashmir and Azad Kashmir, which will decrease the prevailing tension in the region.

All ground routes existing prior to 1950, should be reopened, facilitating fee movement to and from the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Similarly, all international agreements, past and present, should be respected and Kashmiris be granted right of representation accordingly.

The institute has emphasised on both India and Pakistan to respect each other's sovereignty as envisaged in the UN resolutions. It has also underlined the need for making Saarc organization more potent, more effective and compelling in character by including China as an influential member.

It suggested that NGOs and social welfare organizations should be given greater role in cementing ties between the two countries by arranging seminars and conferences for this purpose, both at national and international level.