'Peace walk' held in Sialkot

Baidarie Sialkot, in solidarity with the 'Aman Ithad" and South Asia Partnership-Pakistan, organised a "peace walk" and public meeting here on Friday afternoon. The walk began from Greenwood street Sialkot and passing through different areas terminated at Allama Iqbal Chowk the heart of the city. The walk and the meeting were attended by hundreds of activists from civil society, journalists, lawyers, students and citizens.
The "Participants of the walk" holding banners and placards and chanting pro-peace and justice slogans attracted the attention of thousands and mobilised them to step in for performing their role in promoting the national causes and addressing the confronting issues and demanded peace and tranquillity in the country. They emphatically asked for an end to the atmosphere of fear being created by the rampant acts of terrorism as it is badly hampering and thwarting the economic, social and political disciplines of life.
They demanded an immediate end to the acts of terrorism. They wanted access to social justice, democracy and civil liberties. The speakers included Professor Arshid Mirza, Shahid Mir Advocate, Hina Noureen, Poonam Saeed, Fazal Muhammad Khan, Bilal Mirza Advocate, and Rana Shahzad Ahmad urged for an immediate end to the current wave of terrorism and suicidal attacks that has engulfed thousands of innocent lives.
They urged that the government should hold a meeting with the relevant stakeholders and redesign its strategies for putting an end to violence and restoration of peace and normalcy in the country. They demanded that the state functionaries should make deliberate efforts for ensuring access to justice so that frustrations that lead the sufferers of injustice to acts of extremism may be effectively averted.
The speakers highlighted the need of the collaborated and vigilant efforts on the part of the state and societal actors for increasing awareness, activism and mobilisation for promotion of harmony, peace, normalcy and tranquillity in the society. The proceedings of the day concluded with a vote of thanks for the "Aman Ithad" for motivating the civil society activists for stepping forward to enhance activism in society for playing its role in resisting the acts of terrorism and restoration of Peace in the country.