TCN News
During the 70 years past Independence and partition, the people of India and Pakistan have seen too many conflicts and the loss of many valuable lives, enough of the distrust and tensions.
Those who suffer particularly are ordinary people denied visas and those in the conflict zones, especially women and children as well as fishermen who get routinely rounded up and arrested for violating the maritime boundary.
Considering the past and recent escalating tension between two countries, over 200 citizen from both of these countries have condemn all forms of violence regardless of its objectives.
Deeply concerned at the current rise in animosity and antagonism between India and Pakistan, the concerned citizens have urged both governments and their security establishments to take all steps possible towards improving relations.
The joint statement released on this occasion said, “We note that whenever it seems that relations might improve, some form of disruption takes place ranging from jingoistic statements to militant attacks. The traditional response to such disruptions only strengthens those who want continued tensions between our two countries.”
It further said that concerned citizen have moved the resolution towards a peaceful subcontinent and make the following demands to the governments of India and Pakistan, urging them to –
1. Develop an institutionalized framework to ensure that continuous and uninterrupted talks between India and Pakistan take place regularly, no matter what. Make dialogue un-interrupted and un-interruptible.
2. Ensure that political leaders, diplomats and civil servants from both countries conduct talks on the side-lines of all international and multilateral forums.
3. Recognize that the Kashmir dispute, above all, concerns the lives and aspirations of the Kashmiri people, and work to resolve it through uninterrupted dialogue between all concerned parties.
4. Implement the 2003 ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan.
5. Renounce all forms of proxy wars, state-sponsored terrorism, human rights violations, cross-border terrorism, and subversive activities against each other including through non-state actors or support of separatist movements in each other’s state.
6. Support and encourage all forms of people to people contact, and remove visa restrictions and discrimination faced by citizens of both countries. This must be further taken forward to allow visa-free travel between India and Pakistan.
7. Increase trade and economic linkages and cultural exchanges between India and Pakistan.
Further it said, “we pledge to uphold the principles of impartial reporting and urge media houses on either side to prevent the growing militarization of debate. We must act responsibly and stop broadcasting hate speech and creating public hysteria aimed at the other country and/or vulnerable communities.”
The resolution has came into the time when relationship between India and Pakistan is in more constraints. Both the governments have been accused of escalating the tension between themselves by means of heavy militarization, ceasefire violations, media propaganda and human rights violation.
During the last week’s visit of Turkish president Erdogan, the matter between India and Pakistan also escalated to which Erdogan offered to mediate the peace talk between both countries.
The full list of signatories, who have passed and endorsed the resolution can be downloaded from here.