By TCN News,
New Delhi: Citizens of India and Pakistan have strongly condemned the serial blasts in Mumbai and called it a “conspiracy to derail the resumption of the dialogue and peace process between India and Pakistan.”
They have also extended their “heartfelt condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families and pray for quick and complete recovery of all those injured.”
Highlighting the timing of these blasts, the joint statement released by citizens from India and Pakistan says that with the resumption of dialogue in the last 6 months both the countries had made significant progress towards normalization of relations and resolution of a number of outstanding issues through a series of high level meetings and exchange programs.
The statement further says that, “the all important meeting of the foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan is scheduled at the end of this month to address a number of crucial issues and the blasts seem to be engineered to disrupt this meeting and derail the peace process once again.”
The citizens highlight the fact that the terror attack in Mumbai in November 2008 was also carried out about two weeks before the scheduled meeting of the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan in mid December 2008.
The statement appeals from the citizens of both the countries that, “we should not allow the nefarious designs of the terrorists, of any kind, to succeed once again and strive to not only ensure that the scheduled talks proceed as per plans but also yield positive outcomes to give a fitting reply to the disruptive forces and prevent them from using such a stratagem to disrupt and derail the peace process in future.”
The statement also urges the investigating agencies to probe the matter fully with an open mind to unravel the conspiracy, expose all these involved and punish the guilty.
Signatories include Admiral L. Ramdas- Alibaug, Sherry Rehman, Member of Parliament, Mahesh Bhat- Film Maker Mumbai, Hina Jilani, Chair, SAHR, Lahore Lalita Ramdas- Activist- Alibaug, Justice (R) Nasir Aslam Zahid, Karachi, Mazher Hussain- COVA-Hyderabad, B.M. Kutty- Activist – Karachi, Amitabh Matoo- Academic- Jammu, Mohd. Tahseen- SAP- Lahore, Jatin Desai- Journalist, Mumbai, Beena Sarwar, Editor, Aman Ki Asha, Jang Group, Sudha Reddy-Activist-Bangaluru,Moeen Faruqi, Artist, Karachi, P.V. Rajagopal- EKTA Parishad-Bhopal, Murtaza Razvi, Journalist, Karachi, Sandeep Panday- ASHA Ashram-Lucknow Shahyar Ali Khan, Musician & Ad-man, Lahore, Vrinda Grover- Advocate-Delhi, Gul Bukhari, Columnist, Lahore, Manisha Gupte- Activist- Pune, Nandita Das, Actor & Director, Mumbai, Anand Patwardhan, Film maker, Mumbai, Varsha R Berry, Focus on the Global South, Mumbai, Ammu Joseph, Journalist, Bangalore, Shivam Vij, Journalist, Delhi, Monisha Behal- NEN- Assam, Lata Mani, Historian, Bangalore, Ajay S. Mehta- Seva Mandir, Udaipur