On International Non-Violence Day, a peace demonstration organised in Lahore

Press Release

On International Non-Violence Day, a peace demonstration organised in Lahore

Lahore: A number of citizens under the banner of Aaghaz-e-Dosti, an Indo-Pak friendship Initiative, gathered at Liberty Market on Oct 2, 2016 to raise their voice for peace. The Slogan was “Save Our Future – End War Mongering between Pakistan and India”.

They said that as neighbors, we, the peoples of Pakistan & India share one water, we share the air, we share a history, culture & language. We also share poverty, illiteracy, inequality, pollution and youth unemployment. And most importantly, we share a future. 

But our future is jeopardized by war mongering, hate, jingoism and in dehumanizing the other. As peace loving people of this land, we demand of both States and Leaders to engage each other, de-escalate, and resolve their differences diplomatically. 

Both states have been engaged in a proxy war in Afghanistan, Kashmir and Baluchistan which does not serve the people of this region. Because of this, the whole SAARC region is affected leading to a lack of regional cooperation, which is critical for the success of all countries in the region. Additionally, it is important for both States to understand that Human Rights are key to peace in their respective countries, and thus both states should ensure that all their citizens have the rights enshrined in their respective constitutions as well as the UN Charter.

As peace loving people, we demand that leadership of both nations talk immediately to de-escalate the current situation, followed by devising an institutional framework (restart the composite dialogue) to resolve all outstanding issues diplomatically. Else we the people will suffer, we will fall further behind the rest of the world, and we will not be able to manage the coming crises such as climate change which will impact us all. 

The gathering consisted of senior activists, young activists, college and even some school students. The gathering was also joined by some passersby.

For further information, email at aaghazedosti@gmail.com or contact Raza Khan (Lahore Co-ordinator) at +92 300 4934142

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