WPC seeks continuation of Indo-Pak peace process

Chairman World Punjabi Congress (WPC) Fakhar Zaman on Thursday said that expulsion of Pakistani and Indian diplomats has given an opportunity to the opponents of Indo-Pak amity to sabotage the ongoing peace process.
While addressing a press conference, here on Thursday, Fakhar said that Indo-Pak peace process was initiated by Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, supplemented by Nawaz Sharif and supported by General Pervez Musharraf. From Indian side, I.K. Gujral, Atal Behari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh also played their due role for strengthening the relations.
He said that WPC has played paramount role for promoting friendship between the two countries. WPC is deeply concerned with the situation emerging after recent developments between the two countries, he said. He suggested that General Pervez Musharraf and Dr Manmohan Singh should personally take stock of the situation and did not allow any hurdle in the peace process.
'Expulsion incident, which have the propensity to mar relations between the two countries, as past experience bears testimony, should be discussed threadbare in the parliament', he proposed.
He said that intellectuals, writers, opinion leaders, media persons, trade union leaders and human rights activists in both the countries should exert pressure on their respective governments to continue peace parleys at different levels.
He further said that media of both the countries should desist from dishing out venomous propaganda against each other. He also appealed to the youth of India and Pakistan to come in the forefront to frustrate nefarious designs of peace haters. Youth with new vision are capable enough to fight against the forces of prejudice, obscurantism, religious bigotry and conspiratorial outfits, he added.
Youth have to play the historical role in bringing durable peace because the older generation has failed miserably. Neither extremist have been able to hoist flag on the Red Fort in Delhi nor Indian generals' dream of capturing Lahore Gymkhana could be fulfilled, he added.
He said that now was the time to hoist the flag of friendship and good neighbourliness. He was of the view that ambience of suspicion and paranoia, which has over the years scuttled peace initiatives, has to be replaced by mutual trust. This can be done only by minds enriched with new vision.