South Asia Peace Council Established to Promote Peace in S. Asia
By Zafar Iqbal, PhD
Washington, DC: “The South Asia Peace Council (SAPC) is committed to promoting peace and cooperation through leadership consultations and grassroots activities,” said Sajid Tarar, Founder and Chairman, at the inaugural event held in Tyson—a suburb of Metropolitan Washington on November 6, 2021.
Khurram Shahzad, President and co-founder of the Council, apprised the audience of its mission. SACP “aims to provide platforms for dialogue and networking, conduct academic and policy research on peace, promote policy communication and coordination, promote the visibility and impact of SAPC in the region aligned with American interest.”
Jasdeep Singh, co-founder, and vice president, said the “focus of SAPC is to engage leaders from diverse communities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka to build bridges of understanding and respect while serving our motherland.”
Many distinguished South-Asian Americans, who believe in promoting peace through dialogue and mediation in the South-Asian region while safeguarding American interests, participated in this inaugural function. Former ambassadors Akbar Ahmed and Touqir Hussain appreciated the initiative and offered their help as needed. Other community leaders who addressed the audience included Abdul Rauf Shakoori, Adnan Bukhari, Akbar Choudhry, Ali Saddiqui, Anjana Bordoloi, Baljinder Singh Shammi, Bina Goindi, Dr Javed Manzoor, Dr Nirmal Pahadia, Dr Nisar Choudhry, Dr Zafar Iqbal, Farhan Chughtai, former senator Akbar Khawaja, Ghazanfar Hashmi, Hamid Mahmood, Kalpana Barua, Keerthy Swamy, Manisha Singh, Mike Billington, Mohan Grover, Nabeela Khatak, Nuzaira Azam, Pavan Bezwada, Pritpal Singh Lucky, Priya Grover, Raj Kumar Gujjar, Rama Sharma, Sofyan Yusufi, and Vikram More.
Thanking all participants, Yousuf Choudhry, co-founder and vice president of the Council, said, “Our vision is strengthening of the South-Asia region using tools such as promotion of inter-religious cooperation and good governance.” The Council plans to have four major events and prepare an annual report every year to gauge its effectiveness and performance.
