The Hindu : Front Page : Team from India brings message of peace

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Thursday, Feb 26, 2009
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Team from India brings message of peace

Nirupama Subramanian

Delegation led by Kuldip Nayar in Islamabad for peace promotion

ISLAMABAD: A delegation of Indians led by veteran journalist Kuldip Nayar was here on Wednesday with the message that most Indians want peace with Pakistan, and that India’s stability is dependent on the well-being of its biggest neighbour.

Speaking at the South Asian Free Media Association, Mr. Nayar congratulated Pakistani media, in particular Geo TV and Dawn, for their investigations after the Mumbai incidents that led to establishing the Pakistani identity of Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving gunman.

He called for the civil societies of the two countries to stand together against terrorism, warning that it would otherwise destroy the entire region.

Mr. Nayar described Pakistan as India’s “first line of defence” and said peace between the two countries was essential for the stability of the whole region.

“The stability and peace of India depends on the peace and stability of Pakistan,” he said. Seema Mustafa, an Indian journalist, said media was an important part of peace between the two countries, and asked the journalist community in both countries to reflect on whether it was playing the right role.

Mr. Nayar said the aim of the Indian peace delegation was to see if it could in any way improve the atmosphere between the two countries so that the peace process, which had been on hold since the attacks, could resume.

But he also added that with elections coming up in India, the government and political parties would be more preoccupied with those. More likely, Mr. Nayar said, was the possibility that the resumption of the peace process would be left to the newly elected government.

Imtiaz Alam, secretary-general of SAFMA, also expressed concern about the impact that the atmosphere of political conflict following the disqualification of the Sharif brothers by the Supreme Court would have on democracy in Pakistan, India-Pakistan relations and the battle against terrorism.

He said all three were linked and the court’s decision would have an adverse impact on each.

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