India-Pakistan - Reconciliation?

[cooldude]

There are two points discussed above "self-reliance" and "secularism" and I feel both have little to do with India-Pakistan friendship. Self-reliance doesn't mean socialism or less trading with other countries. A country needs to produce goods to generate jobs, forex by exports, technology to progress. British systematically destroyed the industries in India (including Pakistan) and thus both countries needed to develop its local industries. Another need for self-reliance was to get rid of British Imperialism. In today`s context self-reliance is important both for India and Pakistan to grow and produce more and more goods. We can benefit from each others strengths and increase the export-import among both countries. I am sorry I fail to see how self-reliance can be a hurdle for Pakistan-India friendship.

Regarding secular or hindu India, I feel Pakistan should look at people in India as Indians and vice verse. It should not matter whether we are talking to Hindu or Muslim on either side. There is a classical debate whether religion is more important or country. If the answer to that is country then it shouldn`t matter what the religion is. Indian Muslims are Indians are not Pakistani, religion does not determine your nationality.

India-Pakistan friendship will depend on trade, solution to Kashmir, travel of people from both countries, and most importantly political and military will.

India can benefit a lot from strategic location of Pakistan and Pakistan from the size of Indian market for its goods.

Making LOC into international border, increasing trade and free flow of people across borders can solve the Kashmir issue.

There is no substitute for travel of people as tourist, artist, business men to improve the relationship.

There is a lot of synergy in the both countries and we need leaders who can realize it and work towards peaceful solution.

 

[cooldude]

Advani will take up issue of Pak prisoners in India: Burney

Tue, Oct 28 08:23 PM

Rezaul H Laskar Islamabad, Oct 28 (PTI) Leader of the opposition in Lok Sabha L K Advani today assured leading Pakistani rights activist Ansar Burney that he would raise with the Indian government the issue of Pakistani nationals being held in prison even after completing their jail terms. Burney and his son Fahad, currently in India on a private visit, called on Advani, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, at the latter's residence in New Delhi to wish him on the occasion of Diwali and to discuss bilateral relations.

"I informed Mr Advani about the cases of Pakistani nationals who were in prison even after completing their jail terms. In the cases of some individuals, they had completed their prison terms 10 or 20 years ago," Burney told PTI on phone from New Delhi.

Advani sought details about such prisoners and said he would take up their issue with the Indian government, Burney said. There are some 50 Pakistani prisoners who had completed their sentences in Amritsar jail alone, he added.

Burney, a former human rights minister, said Advani also spoke fondly about growing up in the Pakistani port city of Karachi before partition. Burney said he and Advani had also discussed human rights issues, bilateral ties and steps to usher in peace between the two countries.

The rights activist also welcomed news about the shifting of Indian death row prisoner Sarabjit Singh to a cell for political prisoners in Lahore's Kot Lakhpat jail. "I thank President Asif Ali Zardari and the government for taking such steps as it will only help to foster better relations and love between the two countries," he said.

PTI.

 

[cooldude]

Sarabjit Singh shifted from death row cell: Report

Islamabad, October 28: : Indian national Sarabjit Singh, awarded capital punishment in Pakistan, has been shifted from death row to a normal cell in a Lahore jail, raising hopes that he might not be executed.

Pakistani TV channel Geo news reported that the move may be an indication that the Sarabjit, convicted for triggering blasts killing 14 people in Pakistan in 1990, would not be hanged. However, there was no official word in this regard so far.

Sarabjit, whom Pakistani authorities call Manjit Singh, has been on death row since he was convicted for alleged involvement in four bomb attacks in Punjab province in 1990.

Sarabjit's family, which visited Pakistan in 2008 seeking his release, insists that he was wrongly convicted for the attacks.

 

[cooldude]

Zardari greets Pak's Hindu community on Diwali
Press Trust of India
Tuesday, October 28, 2008, (Islamabad)
Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday greeted the country's Hindu community on the festival of Diwali, saying the government led by his Pakistan People's Party is committed to protecting the rights of minority communities.

"I wish to extend on my behalf, on behalf of the PPP and on behalf of the people of Pakistan heartiest greetings to the Hindu community on the occasion of Diwali," he said in a statement.

The government believes that Hindus and all minorities of Pakistan are equal citizens and must be given equal rights, including the right to vote for all candidates along with Muslim voters, he said.

Zardari said he was happy that as a result of the political struggle, the provision in the original constitution of 1973 for joint electorate had been restored and the religious apartheid foisted on the nation ended.

The liberal democratic forces in the country have been at the forefront in protecting the rights of minorities in accordance with the teachings of Pakistan's founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah and late PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

The new democratic government believed in the principles enunciated by Jinnah that all citizens, irrespective of their religion and social status, were equal citizens and enjoyed equal rights.

Meanwhile, the Hindu community on Tuesday celebrated Diwali with great zeal across Pakistan. Hindus, the country's second largest minority after Christians, organised special programmes to mark the festival. Houses were illuminated with diyas (earthen lamps) to welcome Lakshami, the Hindu Goddess of wealth and prosperity.

They also decorated the doors of their homes with colours to indicate the long-awaited arrival of the Goddess.

 

[IceCold]

you are pathetic. a guy actually suggests peace with good intention, and most people agree with him, and the only thing you can do is call him a hypocrite. Did u even bother to think for one second that this guy actually means what he says? You just immediately generalize him with other Indians who call for the destruction of Pakistan.

Its unfortunate that there are people like you in both India and Pakistan. otherwise peace would have come a long time ago.

Really! because i dont buy this $hit that many of your kind like to sell it on a Pakistani defence forum.
Indeed he and others who claim to be a friend, and this love songs that they like to sing are hypocrites.

 

[Neo]

Take it easy guys, no need to get personal!

Ice, you don't have to agree with others but I'm sure you can keep it civilised.

Read the first post again, the only thing here to fight is prejudice and misperception.
Give it a cha nce!

Thanks!

 

[su-47]

Sorry for the personal insult. I usually don't get flared up. I have edited that part.

IceCold, u should seriously lighten up. Get out of that shell of paranoia. There are 1.1 billion indians, plus a lot of NRIs, and not all of them want the destruction of pakistan. get that into your head. there are people on both sides who want peace, and all efforts should be made to encourage it.

 

[donrahul]

When a thread like this is opened, it is bound to invite "ppl" who disagree with it.. ICECOLD, I would rather you give some specific reasons for your tripe of stereotyping 1 billion people, which includes muslims who are supposedly your brothers..

 

[IceCold]

Ice, you don't have to agree with others but I'm sure you can keep it civilised.

Sure Neo but i surely wasnt the one calling out names here, my comment was on the idea being sold out here.