By Staff Reporter

Date:17-09-06

Source: Dawn

LAHORE, Sept 16: In a discussion on `visa and nuclearfree South Asia here on Saturday, renowned Indian and Pakistani intellectuals and peace activists highlighted threats to peace due to the policies of New Delhi and Islamabad.

Participating in the discussion arranged by the Institute for Peace and Secular Studies and South Asia Free Media Association, PPP (Saheed Bhutto group) secretary-feneral Dr Mubashar Hassan said that the people of India and Pakistan wanted peace but the rulers were not ready to hear their voice due to their vested interest. “The rulers were afraid of the people because the system of governance was based on fear. The governments had stockpiled destructive weapons to threaten each other.” He said that bureaucracy was ruling India and Pakistan. The governments did change but there was no change in the fate of the people. The ruling classes in India and Pakistan were not ready to relax strict visa restrictions because they were afraid that people of both the countries would unite and deprive them of their power.

Indian peace activist Sandeep Panday said that India and Pakistan could adopt the model of Brazil and Argentine for nuclear disarmament. He said that India had 75 nuclear bombs and Pakistan 25. He said that minimum nuclear deterrent was only a misleading term.

South Asia Free Media Association secretary general Imtiaz Alam said that the governments of India and Pakistan should declare bilateral ban on nuclear testing and cease production of fissile material through an agreement. Both the governments should also sign agreements that they would not deploy forces on borders and not use nuclear weapons against each other.

Father Anand said that there was a need for ending hatred and distances created between the people of both the countries by the governments.

PPP MNA Dr Shakila Rashid said that Pakistan was supposed to be a free and independent country but there was no respect for human values in it.

Vinesh Gupta said that visa restrictions should be lifted completely so that people of India and Pakistan could meet freely. He said that distortions in the history taught in both the countries should also be removed.

Institute for Peace and Secular Studies President Saeeda Deep said that stiff visa restrictions had been imposed by Indian and Pakistani governments to restrain the people from meeting each other. She said that the institute would organise a protest demonstration against the restrictions.

Indian Soldiers for Peace and Jammu Kashmir Assembly representatives regretted the setback caused to the peace process due to the behaviour of two governments. They said that the peace process continuing for the past 10 to 12 years was driven back to square one due to aggressive statements of the spokesman of two governments after acts of subversion in Karachi or Mumbai. The responsibility for continuing the peace process lay on the shoulders of civil society under the circumstances.

Other speakers were of the view that strengthening of the peace movement was necessary in view of the fact that the region had become very dangerous and could reach the brink of disaster due to offensive and irresponsible behaviour. They said that both the governments should relax visa restrictions for strengthening of people-to-people contacts and peace move-