ANANTAPUR: The non-governmental and people's organisations of India and Pakistan are launching a joint campaign on May 11 against the arms race between the neighbours and against missile and nuclear tests by the two countries.

Giving the details about the joint campaign here on Friday M. Geyanand, D. Khasim Peera, S. Khaja Hussain, Renuka Devi, G.R. Chowdary, Saddam Basha and Hamid, representatives of various NGOs and people organisations, said the campaign would be called `No! No! Campaign' against the arms race between the two countries.

As part of the campaign, which would be on till May 30, signatures would be collected on a petition drafted against missile testing and purchase of F-16s and F-18s by the two countries.

The petition reads, "We the people of India and Pakistan urge both our Governments to stop all missile tests and negotiations with the United States on the purchase of F-16s and F-18s and relocate the funds saved for education and health care and other basic development needs of the two countries. It should be announced publicly by the two Governments immediately."

The campaign would use the opportunity provided in the form of an announcement made by Pervez Musharraf, President of Pakistan, at a meeting with the Editors' Guild in New Delhi on April 18, that Pakistan would not test missiles or purchase F-16s from the US, if India agreed for the same, they said.

Leaflets and pamphlets detailing the military expenditures of both the countries and the resultant deprivation of resources for the basic development programmes would be widely circulated.

At the end of campaign, the petitions signed by people of the two countries would be submitted to the heads of the two countries.

The campaign launch on May 11 would coincide with the day when India carried out a nuke test at Pokhran and would end on May 30 to coincide with the day Pakistan carried out a similar test at Chagai.

The Mission for Minorities and Marginalised is coordinating the campaign in Anantapur district.

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