People-to-people contact to help achieve peace in region Karachi
Sindh Chief Minister (CM), Syed Qaim Ali Shah, welcoming the Indian delegation currently visiting Karachi said on Friday that the people to people contacts would help fulfil the dream of establishing peace in the region.

"These contacts would definitely prove fruitful," he said adding that the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) had always strived to establish peace in the region and the Simla Agreement, signed by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, the founder of the party and first elected Prime Minister of Pakistan, was an ample proof of it.

Talking to the 12-member delegation from India, led by eminent journalist and writer Kuldeep Nayar, who called on him at the Chief Minister House, Shah however said: "Kashmir is the main issue between Pakistan and India, which should be resolved according to the UN resolutions."
Shah said: "India is a largest democracy and we too want democracy. The people of the two countries want peace therefore, we should have to take efforts for establishing peace at government level."

The chief minister also raised the issue of arrests of fishermen says that fishermen are not the terrorists. "They are poor men and fishing is the only source of their livelihood. This issue could also be resolved through dialogue. We would take every possible step in this regard but India should also take positive steps."

Leader of the delegation, Nayar thanked the chief minister for inviting them to the Chief Minister House and said that the civil society was striving for establishing peace. "We want peace and for that we all have to unite and work for peace whole heartedly." "When we started 'Amn Ki Asha' movement, we were just few but now we are in hundreds of thousands and are sure the peace would certainly be established. The people of India consider the people of Pakistan their brothers and we have to promote these feelings. There could be many negative questions and we have to give them positive direction."

Nayar: "India is a big market where the people from the world over use to come there. We also desire Pakistanis to come and invest in India in different sectors."

He said, "India and Pakistan have fought three wars in which a large number of people were killed, but now we have to establish peace. We want restoration of train service," adding that now Pakistan is not painted in Indian films like the past. Now the Indians have woken up and know the facts.
Secretary General, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Iqbal Haider on this occasion said that the Indian delegation had come with the goodwill message. He said: "PPP has always worked for peace in the region and it was the mission of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto too and we are going ahead with her mission."

Chaudhry Mansoor of the Peace Coalition was of the view that peace could only be established when there is stability in the region. He urged the two countries to spend huge budgets on peace efforts instead of weapon race.

Taj Haider, Media Coordinator of the Sindh government, also spoke while Shazia Marri, Murad Ali Shah, Ali Nawaz Shah and other ministers and officials were present.

The chief minister presented cultural gifts of Sindhi cap and Ajrak to the members of the Indian delegation that included Luxmi Parsad, Sanjay, Haris Kudwai, Ramesh Yadov and others.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

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