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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