PRESS RELEASE – ACKNOWLEDGING LIFE LONG STRUGGLE FOR PAKISTAN-INDIA PEACE
The Institute for Peace and Secular Studies (IPSS) organized a program at the Lahore Press Club to acknowledge the life long struggles of Mr. Kuldip Nayar and Dr. Mubashir Hasan for Pakistan India peace.
The program was attended by a delegation from India, peace activists, dignitaries, students, representatives of civil society, traders and journalists. Following the introduction of the Relaxed Visa Regime Campaign aiming to collect 100,000 signatures to be presented to the Pakistani Prime Minister, there was a panel discussion on the ‘Significance of a Relaxed Pakistan-India Visa Regime’ with Mr. Mahesh Bhatt and Jatin Desai from India, and Madiha Gauhar and Hussain Naqi from Pakistan. Speakers iterated how a people to people contact between Pakistan and India would break the ice between both countries and make the peace process sustainable while acknowledging the work done by their senior colleagues and committing to follow in their footsteps.
Mr. Kuldip Nayar and Dr. Mubashir Hasan were then welcomed on stage to a standing ovation. They shared the experiences of their struggle, of the necessity of both neighbors to have peace for the benefit of their people and of the basic human right of every Pakistani and Indian citizens to meet each other across the border, of benefits to sectors of society and economy. Mr. I.A. Rehman presented them the Sindhu Aman Award to a huge applause of the audience. The program concluded with Mr. Kuldip Nayar and Dr. Mubashir Hasan inaugurating the Relax Pakistan India Visa Regime Campaign to open a new chapter in the struggle for peace.
Saeeda Diep, Director IPSS sharing the concept behind Sindhu Aman Award stated that it was meant to acknowledge the struggle of activists who had stayed true to their ideals and goals for the sake of peace in the region and the world. Sindhu Peace Award given the first time signified their contribution towards peace for the people of Sindhu, the river which gave life to the ancient civilization of this land that was shared by all people of the region.