INDIA/PAKISTAN: Civil Society Pleads for Peace By Beena Sarwar
"People on both sides need peace, not war," declares Dr Nisar Ali Shah, a senior medico-legal officer at a government hospital in Karachi who is also the president of the recently launched Pakistan Peace and Solidarity Council, part of a world-wide network. "In no circumstances do the people want war."
"It is only the weapons manufacturers and sellers who want this, because that is the only way they can sell their wares," he told IPS. "That is what is blocking the road to peace. We must call for disarmament and remove these road blocks."
A day before Chidambaram’s statement, the PPSC on Sunday organised a well attended seminar on "Indo Pak relations and Regional Peace" at PMA House, the old stone building that houses the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) in the heart of this bustling metropolis.
The speakers included the retired lawyer Rochi Ram, a former council member of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. He accused the states in India and Pakistan of failing to provide their people with basic needs. "In addition, both governments have failed to give autonomy to their provinces (Pakistan) or states (India). The writ of the state is weak, which is why others can intrude and attack us, whether it is the U.S.A. with its drone attacks into Pakistani territory, or the Mumbai gunmen in India. It is all linked," he said.
On the same day, prominent activists from Pakistan attended a seminar on "The Challenges of Terrorism and Role of Religion" with Indian colleagues in Amritsar, just 30 km across the border from Lahore in India. They pledged to continue working for peace between the two nations, stressing that war is no solution to the problems both face.
"Whoever had been behind the Mumbai attack wanted India and Pakistan to blow and divert the focus on the north-west region of Pakistan," secretary-general of South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA), Imtiaz Alam told the seminar, urging India and Pakistan to jointly investigate and find ways to prosecute the culprits.
Asma Jahangir, chairperson, Human Rights Commission, Pakistan, said there was no choice other than democracy in Pakistan to have peace in the region.
"Yes, our democracy is weak, but we have to run it,'' Jahangir said. ''We should be given time to run the democratic government in Pakistan, which has been ruled by the military for six decades. When we talk about friendship between the two countries that friendship includes people from grassroots level and not the elite class.''
Meanwhile, several organisations in India and Pakistan together launched a month-long ‘Joint Signature Campaign Against Terrorism, War Posturing and To Promote Cooperation and Peace’ on Jan 9, that they plan to submit to the Prime Minister of India and the President of Pakistan.
"It is only the weapons manufacturers and sellers who want this, because that is the only way they can sell their wares," he told IPS. "That is what is blocking the road to peace. We must call for disarmament and remove these road blocks."
A day before Chidambaram’s statement, the PPSC on Sunday organised a well attended seminar on "Indo Pak relations and Regional Peace" at PMA House, the old stone building that houses the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) in the heart of this bustling metropolis.
The speakers included the retired lawyer Rochi Ram, a former council member of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. He accused the states in India and Pakistan of failing to provide their people with basic needs. "In addition, both governments have failed to give autonomy to their provinces (Pakistan) or states (India). The writ of the state is weak, which is why others can intrude and attack us, whether it is the U.S.A. with its drone attacks into Pakistani territory, or the Mumbai gunmen in India. It is all linked," he said.
On the same day, prominent activists from Pakistan attended a seminar on "The Challenges of Terrorism and Role of Religion" with Indian colleagues in Amritsar, just 30 km across the border from Lahore in India. They pledged to continue working for peace between the two nations, stressing that war is no solution to the problems both face.
"Whoever had been behind the Mumbai attack wanted India and Pakistan to blow and divert the focus on the north-west region of Pakistan," secretary-general of South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA), Imtiaz Alam told the seminar, urging India and Pakistan to jointly investigate and find ways to prosecute the culprits.
Asma Jahangir, chairperson, Human Rights Commission, Pakistan, said there was no choice other than democracy in Pakistan to have peace in the region.
"Yes, our democracy is weak, but we have to run it,'' Jahangir said. ''We should be given time to run the democratic government in Pakistan, which has been ruled by the military for six decades. When we talk about friendship between the two countries that friendship includes people from grassroots level and not the elite class.''
Meanwhile, several organisations in India and Pakistan together launched a month-long ‘Joint Signature Campaign Against Terrorism, War Posturing and To Promote Cooperation and Peace’ on Jan 9, that they plan to submit to the Prime Minister of India and the President of Pakistan.
posted by temporal at 1/14/2009
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