By TCN News
New Delhi: Several rights activists and citizens from both India and Pakistan have together released a statement condemning exchange of fire and killing of security personnel at the Line of Control (LoC).
Calling the incident “highly deplorable,” the concerned citizens group added that “no sane person or society can accept such unwarranted and gruesome incidences.”
They further cautioned the both sides of refraining from such actions in future that has the potential to derail the peace talks. “The said incidences have a potential to derail the ongoing peace process that has shown remarkable progress in recent times in easing the visa regime, improving trade relations and securing many other confidence building measures that hold great promise for both the countries,” they said.
They, however, expressed happiness that the Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries have spoken to each other after the incidents. The concerned citizens’ group further urged that “suitable mechanisms must be evolved and implemented immediately to ensure that the concerned authorities on both sides are in constant touch to
avert recurrence of any such incidence rather than meet after some damage is done.”
Such incidences will only help war mongers and enemies of peace when the need of the hour for both sides is to take the peace process forward, they added.
“We are confident that such dastardly incidences will not affect the dialogue as it has to be uninterrupted and uninterruptible till we secure complete friendship and peace between our two countries. The two sides should also resume normal trade across the LoC and enhance people to people contacts by easing the visa regime further,” the statement observed.
Concerned citizens from both sides issued this statement through COVA (Confederation of Voluntary Associations), a national network of voluntary organizations dedicated to the issues of social harmony, peace and justice. The prime focus of COVA is on citizenship rights and on perspective building for harmony and peace in South Asia.
Signatories from India:
Admiral L. Ramdas- Former Chief of Indian Navy, Ali Baug
Mahesh Bhat-Film Maker- Mumbai
Lalita Ramdas- Former Chair, International Green Peace- Ali Baug
Jatin Desai- Peace Activist and Journalist, Mumbai
Dr. Mazher Hussain- Director, COVA, Hyderabad
Dr. Amrita Chacchi- Academic, Delhi
Ramesh Pimple- People’s Media Initiative, Mumbai
Sheeba Chacchi- Artist, Delhi
Varsha Rajan Berry- SAHR, Mumbai
Dr. Sandeep Panday- Asha Ashram, Lucknow
Ramesh Yadav- Folklore Institute, Amritsar
Sanjay Nahar- Sarhad, Pune
Signatories from Pakistan:
Karamat Ali, Labour Rights Activist, (PILER) Karachi
Dr. A. H. Hayyar, peace activist, President Pakistan Peace Coalition, Lahore
B. M. Kutty, Secretary General of Pakistan Peace Coalition, Karachi
I. A. Rahman, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Lahore
Dr. Kaiser Bengali, Senior economist, Karachi
Dr. Tipu Sultan, Pakistan Medical Association, Karachi
Sheema Kermani, Tahrik-e-Niswan, Karachi
Muqtada Mansoor Khan political analyst, Irtiqa Institute of Social Sciences, Karachi
Dr. Syed Jaffar Ahmed, academician and peace activist, Karachi
Mehnaz Rehman, women rights activist, Karachi
Mohammad Ali Shah, Chairperson, Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Karachi
Iqbal Alavi, peace activist, Karachi
Zulfiqar Halepoto, peace and human rights activist, Hyderabad
Sauleha Ather, women rights and peace activist, Karachi
Farooq Tariq, peace activist and labour leader, Lahore
Javed Qazi, Forum for Secular Pakistan, Karachi