Peace Mission by Expatriate Indians & Pakistanis

For the first time in history, a group of Ind ians and Pakistanis are jointly engaged in People-to-People diplomacy by organizing a visit. Their joint mission is to encourage the two neighboring nuclear powers to find peaceful solutions to the problems plaguing the relations of the two counties.

This visit is an independent effort by concerned individuals of Indian and Pakistani origin living in the US, UK and Canada without the influence of any governments, agencies or business interests.
The Joint Delegation is very pleased with the decision of the Indian government to reduce the number of troops in the Kashmir valley and the positive response from the leaders of Pakistan. The Delegation notes that it is a step in the right direction and encourages both governments to think innovatively to find a lasting solution.

The Joint Delegation will visit Karachi on December 27, 2004 and will visit Peshawar, Quetta and Moenjodaro before reaching Islamabad on December 30. Members of the Joint Deleg ation will hold meetings with the President, the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister and the opposition leaders. The delegation will also meet with grassroot and student organizations, academics, women’s groups and other NGOs. The Joint Delegation will visit Lahore and the birth place of Guru Nanak before crossing the Wagah border. The delegates will observe a short remembrance service for the victims of Indo-Pak conflicts since 1947 at the border.

On the Indian side, the members of the delegation will visit Amritsar, Jammu, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Delhi and Mumbai. In Delhi the Joint Delegation will meet the President, the Prime Minister, leaders of the ruling and the opposition parties. The delegation will also meet women’s groups, NGOs, diplomatic community, academics and various student bodies.

The Joint Delegation is a part of the growing people-to-people contact movement in the subcontinent. The aspirations and concerns of t he Non-Resident Indian and Non-Resident Pakistani communities should be known to the policy makers and the public in South Asia. This delegation intends to help the process of dialogue and understanding between the people of India and Pakistan.

Participants in the Joint Delegation include Capt. Mohamed Suleman Mahtab, Vancouver, Canadal . Dr. Riffat Hassan, KY, USA; . Dr. Gowher Rizvi, MA, USA; Ms. Nilofer Ashan, IL, USA; Dr. Tariq Cheema, IL, USA; Cllr. Faizullah Khan, London, UK ; Mr. Murtaza Solangi, DC, USA; . Dr. Nizamuddin, NY, USA; Mr. Azmat Yusuf, NY, USA; Ms. Zahra Hassan, IL, USA; Mr. Tofail Ahmed, MD, USA; Mrs. Alfreda Gill, MD, USA; Mr. Earnest Gulab, DE, USA; . Mr. Manzoor Alam, DE, USA; Mr. John Prabhudoss, DC, USA; Shrikumar Poddar, MI, USA; Mr. Imtiaz Uddin, IL, USA; Mr. Jose Anthony, IL, USA; Dr. Pritam Rohila, OR, USA; Mrs. Kundan Rohila, OR, USA; 7. Mr. Mohamed Rasheed Ahmed, IL, USA; Mr. Mohamed Zeena, London UK; Mr. Raju Rajagopal, CA, USA; Ms. Rati Tripathi, NY, USA; Ms. Tavishi Alagh, DC, USA; Mr. Kartik Desai, NY, USA; Ms. Vanita Sharma, Oxford, UK; and Mr. Muhammed Shams Kazi, RI, USA.

Contact Info: Joint Coordinator (India): J. Prabhudoss 301 346 5736 email: john@pifras.org
Joint Coordinator (Pakistan): Nilofer Ahsan 773 508 9434 email: nilofer@sbcglobal.net



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Editor: Akhtar M. Faruqui
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