PADF Asks Indian Groups to Stop Anti-Pakistan Campaign, Withdraw Petitions
Washington, DC: In a letter addressed to the leaders of US India Political Action Committee (UIPAC), the Pakistan American Democratic Forum (PADF), a US-wide grassroots organization, has asked them to withdraw their petition seeking authorization from the UN for Indian air strikes against Pakistan.
As reported in The Economic Times, “The Indian American community has launched a petition campaign all over the country urging the US to support a resolution in the UN Security Council that would permit strikes against terrorists camps inside Pakistan.” According to its organizers, this petition has been signed by “thousands of people” and would be submitted to the US government soon.
Asking Indian-American leaders to desist from failed policies of zero-sum lobbying against each other, the PADF has invited the Indian American leaders to “team up and work together for peace in South Asia.”
The PADF has invited Indian-American leaders for a face-to-face meeting in Washington, DC on Monday, December 15.
The PADF letter addressed to Indian American leaders in part reads:
Dear Friends,
While we most vigorously condemn the Mumbai terror attacks, offer our heartfelt condolences, and seek to work with Indian American brothers and sisters to build peace and amity in the region, we most respectfully ask you to withdraw the one-sided, divisive, and polarizing petitions launched by your respective organizations.
As reported in The Economic Times, your petition, among other things, urges the US to support a UN Security Council resolution to permit strikes within Pakistan. This, we believe, amounts to imposing military solutions on complex socio-political problems.
Militarization of the existing difficulties is a short cut to war.
War among two nuclear-armed countries could turn into a disaster of historic proportions. As an incomparably superior alternative to war, the international community needs to:
1. Demand fair and transparent investigation of Mumbai attacks by a multinational commission with equal representation for Pakistan. Until the investigation is completed, Indian and Pakistani governments and media must avoid hasty conclusions and premature pronouncements of guilt or innocence.
2. Implore Indian and Pakistani media to remain objective and not to whip up war hysteria.
3. Support greater cooperation between the Indian and Pakistani governments in faithful compliance with the five Bandung Principles: 1) mutual respect for each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty; 2) mutual non-aggression; 3) non-interference in each other's internal affairs, 4) respect for mutual equality and working for mutual benefit, and 5) peaceful co-existence.
4. Urge both Indian and Pakistani leaders to work to eradicate not only the symptoms but, more importantly, the root causes of conflict and violence as well. This means resolving all outstanding disputes including Kashmir.
At present you have a tremendous reservoir of goodwill among Pakistani-Americans. Every major Pakistani-American and Muslim-American organization has condemned the Nov 26 Mumbai attacks.
SEE: http://pakistanlink.com/community.htm (Pakistan Link, Dec 05, 08)
Most Pakistanis and Pakistani-Americans want justice for the Mumbai victims. Turning a national tragedy into partisan advantage is beneath your dignity and ours. Let’s not re-polarize the situation when hundred of thousands of Pakistani-Americans are ready to help find lasting solutions for lingering problems.
Instead let’s team up for peace in South Asia.
We invite you for a meeting in Washington, DC on Monday, December 15, 2008 with a single-item agenda of partnership for peace in South Asia.
[Contact: Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Toor, 815-353-5039, matoormd@gmail.com]
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