The mounting tension at the Indo-Pak borders, a year after the resolution, is much to the concern of people of both the countries. Where the newspapers have been publishing augmenting strife at the state level and cross fires at the borders resulting in loss of human lives, a segment of people on either side of the fence believe that peaceful diplomatic talks could be a better way of settling disputes.
The unofficial initiative to improve ties with India started soon after restoration of democracy in Pakistan in 1988 and since then various intelligentsia groups have contacted the peace activists across the border to reach a sane solution on Kashmir and other disputed issues. Pak-India People's Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) was such an initiative, which aggregated peace along with its counterpart chapter of the forum in India and engaged thinkers and peace activists of the two countries in its almost a decade long struggle.
Given the growing fear of war, the instigating scuffles at the frontiers and the hard-line policy of the governments, Journalists Resource Centre (JRC) held a dialogue on Need for Pak-India dialogue, in collaboration with PIPFPD, at the Press Club on February 27, 2000.
The purpose of the dialogue was to ascertain whether there was enough need and space to hold peace talks with India, while both governments have been hostile towards each other.
The participants of the dialogue reached the consensus that people from both Pakistan and India should continue with the peace process by holding dialogues on Kashmir and other disputed issues even if the tension at the borders mounts to dangerous limits. Dr Mubashir Hasan, the chief guest on the occasion contended that the friendship between sovereign states is different from that of the individuals. He was of the view that there was no permanence of friendship or enmity between states as these relationships were only to safeguard their interests.
Discussing the potential of war, he said that with immense economic pressures on both the countries, there were 99 per cent chances that war would not take place for the war costs Rs 10 to 15 billion per day and it is not a meagre price for adventurism.
He said that war could only be initiated as a result of an insane decision and insanity from either side of the fence could not be ruled out.
Elaborating on the response of the successive Indian governments towards Pakistan he informed that Prime Minister Vajpayee and former Indian Prime ministers Narsihma Rao and Gujral had already declared that sovereignty and solidarity of Pakistan was in the interest of India.
He categorically said that initiating a peace dialogue does not mean that we would compromise on Kashmir issue, rather the issue of Kashmir should also be on the agenda and all the three stakeholders, i.e., Indian, Pakistani and Kashmiri people should sort out the problem sitting across the table.
Conceding that the Indian response had not been positive lately, he said that Vajpayee came to and initiated peace talks for the Indian interest and their stakes have further increased in the past few months. He said that the environment of enmity portrayed by the media was not factual, nor it was true that people were inclined to wage a war.
About the recent statements from the Indian statesmen, he linked the lofty claims and threats to Pakistan by the present Indian government to their own political need and that they were addressed to the people of India only. He noted that the Indian government could not continue with that rigid stance for long and even if they opt so, they would only harm their national interests.
Dr Mubashir thought that
the situation in India and Pakistan is different regarding the Kashmir
problem. He said India has declared Kashmir as its state in the Indian
constitution whereas constitution of Pakistan did not describe the status
of Kashmir. He was of the opinion that where both India and Pakistan have
their own stances on Kashmir, the wishes of the people of Kashmir seemed
to have been ignored largely.
Chairman PIPFPD, Mr. I A
Rehman said that there were scores of people in India who were critical
of Indian government's policy and were supportive of peace talks with
War could not bring solution of Kashmir issue and dialogue was imperative
to maintain peace in the region, he added.
Quoting the end of centuries old strife between France and Germany, he said that both the countries maintained their sovereignty and ensured peace without compromising on their ideological identities. He said that there was no threat to Pakistan's sovereignty and it is just propaganda of the incompetent governments. He said that we should aim at superseding India but not in arms race. The competition should be in industrial and agrarian productivity instead, he added.
To a question, he said that it was the initiative of only a few to have improved ties with India and the rationality of the argument now brought scores of people to the same platform.
Mr Iftikhar, the secretary general of the forum, highlighted the achievements of the forum as a result of its years long efforts.
Executive director of the JRC, Mohammad Tanveer moderated the event and told that JRC would hold more dialogues on the theme.
