SANA

SRINAGAR, (SANA): Despite current acrimony-loaded atmosphere of South Asia a 3-day India-Pakistan Conference with multiple talking titles has been planned in New Delhi from January 10 by a consortium of Indian fora.

Participants besides the host country have been invited from Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir to be opened by former Indian premier IK Gujral.

The host forum, India International Centre in its invitation says ‘a number of organizations in India have got together with eminent people to organize an “India-Pakistan Conference: A Road Map towards Peace” on 10-12 January.

‘Both India and Pakistan have, for the last 62 years, seen many ups and downs in bilateral relations and talks. But the current phase of composite dialogue was significant.

Four rounds had been completed, and the 5th round was in progress. The November attacks on Mumbai completely hijacked this scenario and brought the relationship between the two countries to breakdown point. This was further intensified by the war hysteria whipped up by the religious right wing in both the countries.

‘Ever since the Indian Government announced a pause on the dialogue following the 26/11 attacks, people in both countries who are desirous of peace, have been trying to convince their respective governments to make serious attempts to restart the dialogue.

The dialogue is important because it helps us sort out our problems peacefully.
‘This conference is being organized to mobilize the peace activists and peace groups from India and Pakistan and influence both the governments to resume peace process’.

On Jan 10 the India-Pakistan Conference: A Road map towards Peace will be opened by a former Indian premier I K Gujral at the Delhi International Centre with key speakers including Mani Shankar Aiyar, ex-minister, Sherry Rehman, MNA and ex-minister of Pakistan, Admiral L Ramdas, ex-naval chief, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, Seema Mustafa journalist. The Peace and Security in South Asia session the same afternoon is to be addressed by former Pakistan minister Iqbal Haider, former Indian foreign secretary Salman Haider, Prof Kamal Chenoy and Prof A H Nayyar of Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad

On Jan 11 the topic, “Issue of Autonomy: Kashmir and Baluchistan” has been proposed to be addressed by Asma Jehangir of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Quetta-based journalist Siraj Malik Akbar, JKLF chief Yasin Malik, Sajjad Lone of Peoples Conference, Senator Hasil Khan Bizenjo, to be chaired by Rajendra Sacchar former chief justice of Delhi high court.

On Climate Change and its Impact on Indo-Pak Relations is to be addressed by Abid Sulehri of SDPI, Vandana Shiva, Farooq Tariq Spokesperson Pakistan Labour Party and Lalita Ramdas of Green Peace. The Trade as an Instrument of Peace by Muchkund Dubey,former Indian foreign secretary, Akbar Zaidi of Pakistani Economist and Dr Biswajit Dhar.

On Jan 12, the “Militancy: Joint Mechanism and Role of the USA” will be addressed by Aijaz Ahmad, Ayesha Siddiqua defense expert from Pakistan, and I.A. Rehman of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. The Media & Culture in War and Peace includes the speaking panelist: Liaquat Ali Toor, a Delhi-based Pakistan journalist, B Murlidhar Reddy Indian journalist, Kuldip Nayar, well-known columnist, Mahesh Bhatt Film-Maker, Madeeha Gauhar theatre director, Ved Bhasin editor Kashmir Times and Kamla Bhasin human rights activist.

A political analyst expressed surprise over bracketing dispute Jammu and Kashmir with Balochistan as a joint topic in the conference. Kashmir is a UN-enlisted dispute bearing signed pledges by India and Pakistan to settled it through UN-held plebiscite on the basis of self-determination right. Pakistan, however, has been highlighting the Indian interference in stoking hostile fire in Balochistan, having a reference in the Sharm Al-Sheikh Pakistan-India joint statement.