Joint Statement by Pakistan India Peoples Forum For Peace and Democracy

Sat, 1 June 2002, [Published in the Pakistani Daily DAWN dated 30th May 2002.]

As of now, the threat of war from miscalculation or accident is quite serious. Regrettably there has been a deliberately cultivated war hysteria in both countries. Should a war break out, for whatever reason, it runs the grave risk of escalating to the level of nuclear exchanges.

Resolving the basic disputes between the two countries is necessary and will take time. But the immediate prerequisite is the return of normalcy and resunlption of dialogue, not only between politicians or bureaucrats but even more importantly, between the concerned citizens of the two countries who must be free to meet and communicate with each other whenever they wish. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that along with the mutual disengagement of the two armed forces, the recent extraordinary restrictions on means of communications that prevent people-to-people dialogue and cultural exchanges from taking place, be removed. Indeed, they should be promoted through easing of visa regimes.

We oppose it in all forms whether cross-border or within our countries, whether carried out by individuals, groups or governments. We declare our common commitment to promote secularism, democracy, justice and peaceful co~existence.

Signatories from India:

Tapan Kumar Bose, Admiral R. Ramdas, Achin Vanaik, Latha Jishnu, K.S. Subramanian, Joseph Gathia, Syeda Hameed, Prakash Louis, Vijayan M.J. Ranjana Padhi, Vineeta Bal, Jawed Laiq, Suneeta Madhu Prasad, Gautam Navlakha, Sagri Chhabra

Signatories from Pakistan:

I.A Rehman, M.B. Naqvi, B.MKutty, Dr. Haroon Ahmed, Karamat Ali, M. H. Askri, Rahat Saeed, Zaheda Hina, Anis Haroon, Naseem Gandhi, Shahid Fiaz, Omar Farooq, Saleem Raza, Baseer Naveed, Aqeel Billgrami, Iqbal Alvi, Zameer Niazi, Brig. Abid Rao, Dr. Tariq Suhail, Dr. Zaki Hassan, Tahir Mohammad Khan, Gul Rehman.

Fortunately India and Pakistan have stepped back from the brink of war and nuclear holocaust, for the time being. But the danger remains, and both countries remain at the mercy of events that they cannot fully control. Fundamentalist elements in Pakistan, bent on violence directed at India and matched likewise by extremist right wing groups in India, both of whom aim to provoke war between the two countries, hold the future of the region in their hands. They will continue to do so unless the two Governments institute further measures to de-escalate the current confrontation and get down to a dialogue.

The immediate elements that would open the way to resolving these long-festering issues could be as follows, keeping in mind the history of the various agreements that India and Pakistan have signed or almost signed, but have so far failed to implement. The approach also explicitly factors in the new and overwhelming reality in South Asia ~ that the establishment by India and Pakistan of nuclear arsenals means that the threats of conventional and nuclear war are now inextricably linked. If Indian and Pakistani leaders want peace -which is more than the absence of war, then resolving the issues of the relationships between the people and in the communities within countries, with equality, tolerance, and friendship is necessary to a sustained peace.

Cross-border infiltration:

Pakistan has pledged to stop such infiltration permanently. This will require monitoring.

India has proposed joint patrolling of the border. This has not been agreed to by Pakistan. The situation is further complicated by India's 'allergy' to any big power/third party interference in the entire Jammu and Kashmir question. However, we are already witnessing a substantial role being played primarily by the USA, and others, in facilitating communications between the leadership of the two countries!

It is therefore proposed that a monitoring force drawn from among the members of SAARC countries under mutually agreed leadership, could provide the necessary compromise for the monitoring to be established. This force could be provided with technical data gathered by other countries, including the United States, to better perform its duties. As a first step, India