dear friends
please put on mr. Ashok Ramsarup
<ramsarupak@...> on our mailing list
regards from karachi
aslam khwaja



__________________________________
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http://my.yahoo.com

Welcome. Pray this venture brings the hearts closer
and prove another great step towards peace on earth.
Shamsheer
--- Aslam Khawja <lathrolak@...> wrote:

>
> dear friends
> greetings from karachi
> kindly put these friends on our mailing list
> 1-drnasmir68@...
> 2-riz_yahya@...
> 3-pritamr@...
> 4-pkorgw@...
> 5-munawarvocalist@...
> 6-maqsood970@...
> 7-a_tipu@...
> 8-valiram@...
> regards
> aslam khwaja
> national coordinator
> india pakistan peace march
> pakistan chapter
>
>
>
> __________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Check out the new Yahoo! Front Page.
> www.yahoo.com
>
>
>
>
>
>


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam?  Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
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dear friends
greetings from karachi
kindly put these friends on our mailing list
1-drnasmir68@...
2-riz_yahya@...
3-pritamr@...
4-pkorgw@...
5-munawarvocalist@...
6-maqsood970@...
7-a_tipu@...
8-valiram@...
regards
aslam khwaja
national coordinator
india pakistan peace march
pakistan chapter



__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Check out the new Yahoo! Front Page.
www.yahoo.com

dear friends
greetings from karachi
i will be part of peace march will any body teach me Hindi during it.
by proffession i am journalist and mostly write and translate in
Sindhi. my email address is<lathrolak@...>
regards
aslam khwaja

----- Original Message -----

From: Dr. Shamsuddin Shoro

To: indpakpeacemarch-owner@... ; indpakpeacemarch@...

Sent: Friday, October 29, 2004 12:38 AM

Subject: [indpakpeacemarch] Give us an opportunity to be more involved with this march

 respected sir ,

                      first of thankyou very much for updating me about the process of the march . sir I would like to also offer my services in any preparatory process of march . There is one NGO of purely childrens in sindh by the name of

BALIK ADABI FORUM  , who has  52 - branches in running by the self help basis , they have got quite a good talent , if there is any place for them ,kindly inform I can arrange meeting with them more over in sindh I feel my self as representative of the march so any work for this area , kindly inform me I will do as possible as I can   .

hoping for great trust as a member of the march

thankyou

 

with regards

 

DR SHAMSUDDIN SHORO

KOTRI SINDH PAKSITAN

----- Original Message -----

From: indopakpeacemarch

To: indpakpeacemarch@...

Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 12:36 AM

Subject: [indpakpeacemarch] Minutes of First national consultation for Delhi-Multan Peace March 2005

Minutes of First national consultation for Delhi-Multan Peace March
2005

Indo-Pak Peace March Preparatory Committee Meeting, October 25, 2004
********************************************************************

The meeting was held at PSF National Secretariat Lahore. The members
of Pakistan Social Forum, Punjab Social Forum, Sindh Social Forum,
Joint Action committee for Peace and Democracy Lahore, Pakiitan
Peace Coalition, Anjuman Asiai Awam, Anjuman Mozareen Punjab,
Mutahida Labor Federation, Citizens Peace Committee Islamabad and
many other social organizations, social movements and political
groups participated in the meeting. The meeting among other things
discussed the following items:

* Background, purpose and rationale of the Peace March 2005 followed
by questions and answers.
* Presentation of the March Route in India and Pakistan followed by
suggestions and comments
* Mobilization strategies and suggestions
* Formulation of messages and slogans for peace march.
* Formation of Organizing Committee: ideas and nominations

  The participating coalitions and social organizations were
informed that the purpose of meeting is to discuss a proposal came
form many peace groups and networks in India for a joint peace March
from Delhi to Multan during year 2005. Mohammad Tahseen and B.M
Kutty explained the background of the proposal that came from Mr.
Sandeep Pandy of Ekta Pareshad during Pakistan India joint
convention for peace in the year 2004. The proposal was discussed at
various peace forums of Pakistan and India and finally Indian groups
accepted the suggestion and a process for organization has started
in India. Irfan added that the Indian groups have formed a joint
organizing committee for the peace march that comprised of active
peace groups, networks, social movements and other human rights
networks from all over the India. HE said that this meeting is an
attempt to bring as many peace groups working in Pakistan and
consult them for organizing this peace march along with Indian
committee. He also explained the Pakistan Social Forum's steering
committee has accepted to facilitate the march along with other
peace networks and coalitions.

The participants after some discussion realized the importance of
the March as it can mobilize large number of people of India and
Pakistan besides educating people on the issues facing civil society
of India and Pakistan. All the participating coalitions  agreed to
provide their input for organizing and making the peace march
successful.

The discussion of participants comprised of planning regarding
preparations of Peace March within Pakistan, formation of criteria
for Pakistani core marchers from Dehli to Multan, Formulation of
mobilization strategies, slogans and massages as well as selection
and formation of organizing committee. The participants gave
following suggestions;

Some of the suggestions & Recommendations came from the participants
were:

* There is a need to revive the date of Peace March. Present date
can be clashed with forthcoming L.G. elections in Pakistan. In
addition months of April and May are normally the wheat harvesting
season in Punjan so most of the farmers will be busy with their
harvesting chores. The participants therefore resolve to suggest
Indian committee to shift the starting date of the Peace March from
23rd of march 2005 to 23rd of February to facilitate more
participation of people in the peace march

* All provinces required to be participated equally in the
activities of peace march along with Punjab. The participants agreed
to the proposal of organizing parallel marches in other provinces
while the main march will be on its way from Delhi to Multan. This
will provide maximum participation of citizens of Pakistan
particularly those living away from the march rout.

* The activity should be shaped as Peace March cum Peace (Aman)
Mella. Such mellas especially at rural areas in the way can create a
good impact.

* A large joint banner should be designed as "Pak-India Peace March
2005". The names of all coalitions and organization, participating
in this activity can be placed on the banner.

* Many moots, processions, cultural activities reflecting the
culture of all provinces; meeting with lawyers, journalists & trade
unions and mellas are required to be arranged at all stoppages of
Peace March to welcome the marchers and to highlight the issue.
Moreover the participants of these processions can accompany the
core marchers till next place.

* An parallel inauguration ceremony can be arranged in Lahore while
the march will start from Delhi on February 23rd to announce the
activity simultaneously in Pakistan.

* Parallel peace marches can be arranged simultaneously with major
activity in all over Pakistan to increase the impact. These marches
can join the core marchers at Multan at the culmination point.

* A pamphlet/leaflet comprising of the purpose of peace march should
be published and widely dissemination prior to the march to mobilize
people.

* A peace conference cn be organized as the closing ceremony with
full participation and coverage of local and international media can
be arranged at Multan.

* A logo for the activity should be designed.

* In order to promote sharing and joint planning efforts the meeting
suggested to form a joint Indo-Pak organizing committee.

* The Peace March  can be called as "Aman Caravan"

* The participants also suggested criteria for the selection of core
marchers;
1.       Ideological Clarity of the issue
2.        Peace activist
3.       Representation from all walks of life i.e. scholars,
journalists, folk singers, old persons and story tellers.
4.       Representation from provinces
5.       Women representation

* The suggestions for the issues of messages and slogans are;
1.       Mass participation
2.       Ban of Missile tests
3.       Poverty alleviation
4.       De-militarization and denuclearization.
5.       regional cooperation
6.       Friendly visa policy
7.       Pro-people SAFTA
8.       Issues of prisoners & Fisher Folk

Some suggestions came for the mass mobilization for the peace march
were to print and disseminate a pamphlets, a poster & banners in all
major cities and towns on the march route. A website and e-
circulation of announcement for peace march, announcements in NGO
Magazines, newspapers and other print media, regular media forums &
conferences, discussion forums at district levels, series of press
conferences in major cities of Pakistan, material dissemination at
schools, colleges and universities can be some effective strategies.

The meeting decided to use main G.T. Road from Lahore to Multan as
the route of the March and there should be a stop over at average 15-
20 km distance daily. JAC Lahore agreed to coordinate the events &
activities in Lahore. Peace between India and Pakistan would be the
major focus of messages & slogans.

The meeting decided to form an organizing committee for preparation
of peace march comprising of 1-2 representatives of all
participation coalitions and networks, and equal representation to
provinces. Similarly women would be given representation in
organizing committee.  Moreover district organizing committees would
be formed who would be responsible to organize the activities at
district level. Big cities committees following the rout of March
would be formed.

The first organizing committee formed was as follows:
-----------------------------------------------------
Dr. A.H. Nayyar, and Karamat Ali (Pakistan Peace Coalition), Sayeda
Diep and Mehar Safdar (Anjuamn Asiai Awam), Yaqoob, Yusuf Baloch and
Altaf Baloch (Mutahida Labor Federation), Riaz Ahmed (Citizen Peace
Committee) Dr. Christopher and Aqeela (Anjuamn Mozareen Punjab),
Irfan Mufti (Pakistan Social Forum), Abbass Shakir and Zia-Ur Rehman
(Punjab Social Forum), Shamoon Pitras (Chistian), Zahid Gardezi
(Multan) NAsreen (Cheecha Watani) Joint Action Committee Lahore will
give names of its representatives after its meeting. The meeting
also decided to offer other peace networks to send representatives
for this committee.

----- Original Message -----

From: indopakpeacemarch

To: indpakpeacemarch@...

Sent: Thursday, October 28, 2004 12:36 AM

Subject: [indpakpeacemarch] Minutes of First national consultation for Delhi-Multan Peace March 2005

Minutes of First national consultation for Delhi-Multan Peace March
2005

Indo-Pak Peace March Preparatory Committee Meeting, October 25, 2004
********************************************************************

The meeting was held at PSF National Secretariat Lahore. The members
of Pakistan Social Forum, Punjab Social Forum, Sindh Social Forum,
Joint Action committee for Peace and Democracy Lahore, Pakiitan
Peace Coalition, Anjuman Asiai Awam, Anjuman Mozareen Punjab,
Mutahida Labor Federation, Citizens Peace Committee Islamabad and
many other social organizations, social movements and political
groups participated in the meeting. The meeting among other things
discussed the following items:

* Background, purpose and rationale of the Peace March 2005 followed
by questions and answers.
* Presentation of the March Route in India and Pakistan followed by
suggestions and comments
* Mobilization strategies and suggestions
* Formulation of messages and slogans for peace march.
* Formation of Organizing Committee: ideas and nominations

  The participating coalitions and social organizations were
informed that the purpose of meeting is to discuss a proposal came
form many peace groups and networks in India for a joint peace March
from Delhi to Multan during year 2005. Mohammad Tahseen and B.M
Kutty explained the background of the proposal that came from Mr.
Sandeep Pandy of Ekta Pareshad during Pakistan India joint
convention for peace in the year 2004. The proposal was discussed at
various peace forums of Pakistan and India and finally Indian groups
accepted the suggestion and a process for organization has started
in India. Irfan added that the Indian groups have formed a joint
organizing committee for the peace march that comprised of active
peace groups, networks, social movements and other human rights
networks from all over the India. HE said that this meeting is an
attempt to bring as many peace groups working in Pakistan and
consult them for organizing this peace march along with Indian
committee. He also explained the Pakistan Social Forum's steering
committee has accepted to facilitate the march along with other
peace networks and coalitions.

The participants after some discussion realized the importance of
the March as it can mobilize large number of people of India and
Pakistan besides educating people on the issues facing civil society
of India and Pakistan. All the participating coalitions  agreed to
provide their input for organizing and making the peace march
successful.

The discussion of participants comprised of planning regarding
preparations of Peace March within Pakistan, formation of criteria
for Pakistani core marchers from Dehli to Multan, Formulation of
mobilization strategies, slogans and massages as well as selection
and formation of organizing committee. The participants gave
following suggestions;

Some of the suggestions & Recommendations came from the participants
were:

* There is a need to revive the date of Peace March. Present date
can be clashed with forthcoming L.G. elections in Pakistan. In
addition months of April and May are normally the wheat harvesting
season in Punjan so most of the farmers will be busy with their
harvesting chores. The participants therefore resolve to suggest
Indian committee to shift the starting date of the Peace March from
23rd of march 2005 to 23rd of February to facilitate more
participation of people in the peace march

* All provinces required to be participated equally in the
activities of peace march along with Punjab. The participants agreed
to the proposal of organizing parallel marches in other provinces
while the main march will be on its way from Delhi to Multan. This
will provide maximum participation of citizens of Pakistan
particularly those living away from the march rout.

* The activity should be shaped as Peace March cum Peace (Aman)
Mella. Such mellas especially at rural areas in the way can create a
good impact.

* A large joint banner should be designed as "Pak-India Peace March
2005". The names of all coalitions and organization, participating
in this activity can be placed on the banner.

* Many moots, processions, cultural activities reflecting the
culture of all provinces; meeting with lawyers, journalists & trade
unions and mellas are required to be arranged at all stoppages of
Peace March to welcome the marchers and to highlight the issue.
Moreover the participants of these processions can accompany the
core marchers till next place.

* An parallel inauguration ceremony can be arranged in Lahore while
the march will start from Delhi on February 23rd to announce the
activity simultaneously in Pakistan.

* Parallel peace marches can be arranged simultaneously with major
activity in all over Pakistan to increase the impact. These marches
can join the core marchers at Multan at the culmination point.

* A pamphlet/leaflet comprising of the purpose of peace march should
be published and widely dissemination prior to the march to mobilize
people.

* A peace conference cn be organized as the closing ceremony with
full participation and coverage of local and international media can
be arranged at Multan.

* A logo for the activity should be designed.

* In order to promote sharing and joint planning efforts the meeting
suggested to form a joint Indo-Pak organizing committee.

* The Peace March  can be called as "Aman Caravan"

* The participants also suggested criteria for the selection of core
marchers;
1.       Ideological Clarity of the issue
2.        Peace activist
3.       Representation from all walks of life i.e. scholars,
journalists, folk singers, old persons and story tellers.
4.       Representation from provinces
5.       Women representation

* The suggestions for the issues of messages and slogans are;
1.       Mass participation
2.       Ban of Missile tests
3.       Poverty alleviation
4.       De-militarization and denuclearization.
5.       regional cooperation
6.       Friendly visa policy
7.       Pro-people SAFTA
8.       Issues of prisoners & Fisher Folk

Some suggestions came for the mass mobilization for the peace march
were to print and disseminate a pamphlets, a poster & banners in all
major cities and towns on the march route. A website and e-
circulation of announcement for peace march, announcements in NGO
Magazines, newspapers and other print media, regular media forums &
conferences, discussion forums at district levels, series of press
conferences in major cities of Pakistan, material dissemination at
schools, colleges and universities can be some effective strategies.

The meeting decided to use main G.T. Road from Lahore to Multan as
the route of the March and there should be a stop over at average 15-
20 km distance daily. JAC Lahore agreed to coordinate the events &
activities in Lahore. Peace between India and Pakistan would be the
major focus of messages & slogans.

The meeting decided to form an organizing committee for preparation
of peace march comprising of 1-2 representatives of all
participation coalitions and networks, and equal representation to
provinces. Similarly women would be given representation in
organizing committee.  Moreover district organizing committees would
be formed who would be responsible to organize the activities at
district level. Big cities committees following the rout of March
would be formed.

The first organizing committee formed was as follows:
-----------------------------------------------------
Dr. A.H. Nayyar, and Karamat Ali (Pakistan Peace Coalition), Sayeda
Diep and Mehar Safdar (Anjuamn Asiai Awam), Yaqoob, Yusuf Baloch and
Altaf Baloch (Mutahida Labor Federation), Riaz Ahmed (Citizen Peace
Committee) Dr. Christopher and Aqeela (Anjuamn Mozareen Punjab),
Irfan Mufti (Pakistan Social Forum), Abbass Shakir and Zia-Ur Rehman
(Punjab Social Forum), Shamoon Pitras (Chistian), Zahid Gardezi
(Multan) NAsreen (Cheecha Watani) Joint Action Committee Lahore will
give names of its representatives after its meeting. The meeting
also decided to offer other peace networks to send representatives
for this committee.

Minutes of First national consultation for Delhi-Multan Peace March
2005

Indo-Pak Peace March Preparatory Committee Meeting, October 25, 2004
********************************************************************

The meeting was held at PSF National Secretariat Lahore. The members
of Pakistan Social Forum, Punjab Social Forum, Sindh Social Forum,
Joint Action committee for Peace and Democracy Lahore, Pakiitan
Peace Coalition, Anjuman Asiai Awam, Anjuman Mozareen Punjab,
Mutahida Labor Federation, Citizens Peace Committee Islamabad and
many other social organizations, social movements and political
groups participated in the meeting. The meeting among other things
discussed the following items:

* Background, purpose and rationale of the Peace March 2005 followed
by questions and answers.
* Presentation of the March Route in India and Pakistan followed by
suggestions and comments
* Mobilization strategies and suggestions
* Formulation of messages and slogans for peace march.
* Formation of Organizing Committee: ideas and nominations

   The participating coalitions and social organizations were
informed that the purpose of meeting is to discuss a proposal came
form many peace groups and networks in India for a joint peace March
from Delhi to Multan during year 2005. Mohammad Tahseen and B.M
Kutty explained the background of the proposal that came from Mr.
Sandeep Pandy of Ekta Pareshad during Pakistan India joint
convention for peace in the year 2004. The proposal was discussed at
various peace forums of Pakistan and India and finally Indian groups
accepted the suggestion and a process for organization has started
in India. Irfan added that the Indian groups have formed a joint
organizing committee for the peace march that comprised of active
peace groups, networks, social movements and other human rights
networks from all over the India. HE said that this meeting is an
attempt to bring as many peace groups working in Pakistan and
consult them for organizing this peace march along with Indian
committee. He also explained the Pakistan Social Forum's steering
committee has accepted to facilitate the march along with other
peace networks and coalitions.

The participants after some discussion realized the importance of
the March as it can mobilize large number of people of India and
Pakistan besides educating people on the issues facing civil society
of India and Pakistan. All the participating coalitions  agreed to
provide their input for organizing and making the peace march
successful.

The discussion of participants comprised of planning regarding
preparations of Peace March within Pakistan, formation of criteria
for Pakistani core marchers from Dehli to Multan, Formulation of
mobilization strategies, slogans and massages as well as selection
and formation of organizing committee. The participants gave
following suggestions;

Some of the suggestions & Recommendations came from the participants
were:

* There is a need to revive the date of Peace March. Present date
can be clashed with forthcoming L.G. elections in Pakistan. In
addition months of April and May are normally the wheat harvesting
season in Punjan so most of the farmers will be busy with their
harvesting chores. The participants therefore resolve to suggest
Indian committee to shift the starting date of the Peace March from
23rd of march 2005 to 23rd of February to facilitate more
participation of people in the peace march

* All provinces required to be participated equally in the
activities of peace march along with Punjab. The participants agreed
to the proposal of organizing parallel marches in other provinces
while the main march will be on its way from Delhi to Multan. This
will provide maximum participation of citizens of Pakistan
particularly those living away from the march rout.

* The activity should be shaped as Peace March cum Peace (Aman)
Mella. Such mellas especially at rural areas in the way can create a
good impact.

* A large joint banner should be designed as "Pak-India Peace March
2005". The names of all coalitions and organization, participating
in this activity can be placed on the banner.

* Many moots, processions, cultural activities reflecting the
culture of all provinces; meeting with lawyers, journalists & trade
unions and mellas are required to be arranged at all stoppages of
Peace March to welcome the marchers and to highlight the issue.
Moreover the participants of these processions can accompany the
core marchers till next place.

* An parallel inauguration ceremony can be arranged in Lahore while
the march will start from Delhi on February 23rd to announce the
activity simultaneously in Pakistan.

* Parallel peace marches can be arranged simultaneously with major
activity in all over Pakistan to increase the impact. These marches
can join the core marchers at Multan at the culmination point.

* A pamphlet/leaflet comprising of the purpose of peace march should
be published and widely dissemination prior to the march to mobilize
people.

* A peace conference cn be organized as the closing ceremony with
full participation and coverage of local and international media can
be arranged at Multan.

* A logo for the activity should be designed.

* In order to promote sharing and joint planning efforts the meeting
suggested to form a joint Indo-Pak organizing committee.

* The Peace March  can be called as "Aman Caravan"

* The participants also suggested criteria for the selection of core
marchers;
1.       Ideological Clarity of the issue
2.        Peace activist
3.       Representation from all walks of life i.e. scholars,
journalists, folk singers, old persons and story tellers.
4.       Representation from provinces
5.       Women representation

* The suggestions for the issues of messages and slogans are;
1.       Mass participation
2.       Ban of Missile tests
3.       Poverty alleviation
4.       De-militarization and denuclearization.
5.       regional cooperation
6.       Friendly visa policy
7.       Pro-people SAFTA
8.       Issues of prisoners & Fisher Folk

Some suggestions came for the mass mobilization for the peace march
were to print and disseminate a pamphlets, a poster & banners in all
major cities and towns on the march route. A website and e-
circulation of announcement for peace march, announcements in NGO
Magazines, newspapers and other print media, regular media forums &
conferences, discussion forums at district levels, series of press
conferences in major cities of Pakistan, material dissemination at
schools, colleges and universities can be some effective strategies.

The meeting decided to use main G.T. Road from Lahore to Multan as
the route of the March and there should be a stop over at average 15-
20 km distance daily. JAC Lahore agreed to coordinate the events &
activities in Lahore. Peace between India and Pakistan would be the
major focus of messages & slogans.

The meeting decided to form an organizing committee for preparation
of peace march comprising of 1-2 representatives of all
participation coalitions and networks, and equal representation to
provinces. Similarly women would be given representation in
organizing committee.  Moreover district organizing committees would
be formed who would be responsible to organize the activities at
district level. Big cities committees following the rout of March
would be formed.

The first organizing committee formed was as follows:
-----------------------------------------------------
Dr. A.H. Nayyar, and Karamat Ali (Pakistan Peace Coalition), Sayeda
Diep and Mehar Safdar (Anjuamn Asiai Awam), Yaqoob, Yusuf Baloch and
Altaf Baloch (Mutahida Labor Federation), Riaz Ahmed (Citizen Peace
Committee) Dr. Christopher and Aqeela (Anjuamn Mozareen Punjab),
Irfan Mufti (Pakistan Social Forum), Abbass Shakir and Zia-Ur Rehman
(Punjab Social Forum), Shamoon Pitras (Chistian), Zahid Gardezi
(Multan) NAsreen (Cheecha Watani) Joint Action Committee Lahore will
give names of its representatives after its meeting. The meeting
also decided to offer other peace networks to send representatives
for this committee.

Indian Coordination Committee

India Pakistan Peace March preparatory meeting was held on October
10, 2004 in New Delhi, the minutes of which have been circulated
earlier to us all. The following India Coordination Committee was
also constituted in this meeting which includes the following:
Admiral L Ramdas, Lalitha Ramdas (Maharashtra), Sandeep Pandey,
Arundhati Dhuru, Mahesh, Nidhi Labh, (Lucknow), Ramesh Bhai
(Hardoi), Jatin Desai, Vaarsha (Mumbai), Mazhar Hussain (Hyderabad),
Maruthi (Chennai), Ramesh Yadav, Gurudayal Singh Sheetal, Gurmeet
Khanpuri, Talwinder Singh (Punjab), Nandlal (Varanasi), Arvind
(Mau), Kavita Srivastava (Jaipur), Sonia Jabbar, Anil Choudhary
(Delhi), Sanat Mohanty (Minnesota).

Thanks,

Moderation Team

Minutes of Preparatory Meeting for Peace March, held in New Delhi on
October 10, 2004
Sandeep Pandey, ashaashram@...
************************************

             A preparatory meeting was held in Delhi on Oct. 10, 2004
at the residence of Nirmala Deshpandeji, which was attended by
Admiral L. Ramdas, Lalita Ramdas, Ramesh Bhai, Maruti, Gurmeet
Khanpuri, Talwinder Singh, Ramesh Yadav and Sandeep to discuss the
preparation of the India-Pakistan peace march being proposed for
next year between Delhi to Multan from 23rd March to 11th May.

It was decided to meet the Prime Minister around 30th Nov. to seek
his approval in priniciple for this peace march. A delegation
comprising of Admiral Ramdas, Nirmala Deshpandeji, Sandeep and
Karamat Ali (who may come for CNDP convention in Jaipur from 26-28
Nov.) was finalized for meeting the PM.

Lalita Ramdas suggested that there should be an attempt to involve
as many youth as possible for this peace march.

             As decided earlier the marchers must register themselves
by going to the website www.thesouthasian.org and doing so or
sending a mail to Mahesh at all_aman@... or Mahesh, A-893,
Indira Nagar, Lucknow-226016, U.P., India, with the following
information about their passport:



Name as in Passport:

Citizenship:

Father's Name:

Date of Birth:

Place of Birth:

Passport Number:

Date of Issue:

Date of Expiry:

Issuing Authority:

Place of Issue:

Address as in the Passport:



Contact Phone/Mobile/E-mail:

Propose to march from (dates/places):
____________________to_________________________



             The next preparatory meeting for the peace march will be
held in New Delhi at Gandhi Smarak Nidhi (near Rajghat) on 1st
December, 2004, Wednesday (Contact Ram Chandra Rahi or Satish Bhai
at Ph: 011-23311495, 23311481) beginning 11 am.

             It was also decided that there should be a joint Indo-
Pak preparatory sometime in January 2005 in either Amritsar or
Lahore.

Blind Pakistani now sees thru Indian eyes
By Shahid Husain
Daily Times

(Posted by Aslam Khawja, lathrolak@...)

KARACHI: A Pakistani toddler born blind can see after receiving a pair of eyes
in a state-of-the-art transplant operation in Chennai in India this year.

“A pair of Indian eyes is now able to blink in Pakistan thanks to the growing
cooperation between the two neighbouring countries,” pioneering Indian eye
surgeon Dr Amar Agarwal told journalists at the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday.

“Ahmed’s eyes are behaving like the donor’s eyes. Now the child can play,” he
said, referring to the one-year-old former patient.

Dr Agarwal said a memorandum of understanding has been signed between the
Agarwal Eye Hospital of Chennai (Madras), Isra University of Hyderabad and the
Liaquat University of Health Sciences, Jamshoro. The MoU states: “Isra
University and the Amar Agarwal Institute hereby agree to cooperate and
coordinate in all academic affairs with effect from 4th October, 2004.”

Prof. Ghulamqadir Kazi, the chancellor of Isra University, and Dr Agarwal, who
is director of the Agarwal Eye Hospital, signed the MoU.

“We are also going to have a telelink from Hyderabad (Pakistan) and Chennai and
a doctor from India will regularly visit Pakistan,” Dr Agarwal said.

Dr Agarwal is a modern pioneer of surgery, whose history dates back 3,000 years.

The famous surgeon of ancient India, Susruta, a disciple of Danavantri,
performed the earliest cataract operation.

Susruta described cataract as an opacity of the lens, its modern definition,
according to Dr Agarwal.

Today modern medical advances have made cataract surgery one of the most
successful forms of surgery, with new surgical techniques and intra-ocular
lenses able to restore excellent vision in 97 percent of all cases. In the
1960s, Dr Charles Kelman of the United States started a technique called
phaco-emulsification, in which cataracts were removed through a 3mm incision,
compared to a 12mm incision in which whole cataract was previously removed. In
1998, Dr Agarwal started a technique called Phakonit, one of the biggest
breakthroughs in cataract removal, in which cataracts were removed through a 1mm
opening.

In 2001 the Rollable Intraocular Lens was made, which went through this small
opening. There is no medical treatment for cataract. The only treatment is
surgery. The important question is when one should get operated for cataract.

The advantages of performing Phakonit cataract surgery, due to the very small
size of the cut made in the eye, is that the patient is not admitted in hospital
and go home after a few hours.

There are no stitches used and the patient gets back to his or her normal
routine the next day and can go to office, have a head bath or do normal
housework, like cooking.

Blind Pakistani now sees thru Indian eyes

By Shahid Husain

KARACHI: A Pakistani toddler born blind can see after receiving a pair of eyes in a state-of-the-art transplant operation in Chennai in India this year.

“A pair of Indian eyes is now able to blink in Pakistan thanks to the growing cooperation between the two neighbouring countries,” pioneering Indian eye surgeon Dr Amar Agarwal told journalists at the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday.

“Ahmed’s eyes are behaving like the donor’s eyes. Now the child can play,” he said, referring to the one-year-old former patient.

Dr Agarwal said a memorandum of understanding has been signed between the Agarwal Eye Hospital of Chennai (Madras), Isra University of Hyderabad and the Liaquat University of Health Sciences, Jamshoro. The MoU states: “Isra University and the Amar Agarwal Institute hereby agree to cooperate and coordinate in all academic affairs with effect from 4th October, 2004.”

Prof. Ghulamqadir Kazi, the chancellor of Isra University, and Dr Agarwal, who is director of the Agarwal Eye Hospital, signed the MoU.

“We are also going to have a telelink from Hyderabad (Pakistan) and Chennai and a doctor from India will regularly visit Pakistan,” Dr Agarwal said.

Dr Agarwal is a modern pioneer of surgery, whose history dates back 3,000 years.

The famous surgeon of ancient India, Susruta, a disciple of Danavantri, performed the earliest cataract operation.

Susruta described cataract as an opacity of the lens, its modern definition, according to Dr Agarwal.

Today modern medical advances have made cataract surgery one of the most successful forms of surgery, with new surgical techniques and intra-ocular lenses able to restore excellent vision in 97 percent of all cases. In the 1960s, Dr Charles Kelman of the United States started a technique called phaco-emulsification, in which cataracts were removed through a 3mm incision, compared to a 12mm incision in which whole cataract was previously removed. In 1998, Dr Agarwal started a technique called Phakonit, one of the biggest breakthroughs in cataract removal, in which cataracts were removed through a 1mm opening.

In 2001 the Rollable Intraocular Lens was made, which went through this small opening. There is no medical treatment for cataract. The only treatment is surgery. The important question is when one should get operated for cataract.

The advantages of performing Phakonit cataract surgery, due to the very small size of the cut made in the eye, is that the patient is not admitted in hospital and go home after a few hours.

There are no stitches used and the patient gets back to his or her normal routine the next day and can go to office, have a head bath or do normal housework, like cooking.

Home | National

Pakistan favours Kashmir bus without passports, visas: FM
Daily Times, Pakistan

(posted by: Aijaz Ahmed, go2aijazz@...)

* Kasuri says international effort shattered AQ Khan network

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri observed on
Thursday that Pakistan was in favour of a bus service between
Muzaffarabad and Sri Nagar without passports and visas.

"I met many Kashmiri leaders in New Delhi and all of them opposed
travelling with passports and visas," he said, adding that the issue
of identification in the absence of passports and visas would be
discussed at a technical meeting between the two sides.

To a question about any change in Pakistan's Kashmir policy, Mr
Kasuri said there was no policy change, but underlined that Pakistan
wanted to seek a permanent resolution. He referred to the statement
made by President Pervez Musharraf and said that the president has
called for flexibility from both sides.

To yet another question, he strongly underlined that the Kashmir
issue must be resolved according to the aspirations of the
Kashmiris. "There cannot be a durable solution to the problem until
the Kashmiri people accept it," he added.

Mr Kasuri said collaborative international efforts have broken-up
the AQ Khan network, which is an important achievement.

"Pakistan supported the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1540
because the international nuclear black market poses a tough
challenge," said Mr Kasuri while speaking at the inauguration of a
seminar titled "Emerging Security Challenges and Opportunities".

"Collaborative efforts have resulted in the break-up of the AQ Khan
network. This is an important achievement in the advancement of our
shared non-proliferation goal," he said.

The seminar was jointly organised by the International Institute for
Strategic Studies in London and the Institute of Regional Studies in
Islamabad.

Duirng his speech, Mr Kasuri said that Pakistan has strengthened
physical controls over its nuclear assets. "We have adopted
comprehensive laws and regulations to prevent the export or
pilferage of WMD materials and technology," he said.

He added that there was an obvious need to promote a new consensus
on nuclear non-proliferation, one that reconciles nuclear legality
and nuclear reality.

"Arrangements should also be worked out whereby nuclear powers
outside the Non-Proliferation Treaty can undertake the treaty's
central obligation not to transfer nuclear weapons or sensitive
technologies in exchange for access to civilian nuclear and
technological cooperation," he added.

Discussing terrorism as a challenge to peace and security, Mr Kasuri
said the possible use by terrorists of weapons of mass destruction
has come to dominate the agendas of the United Nations, the United
States and the European Union.

He said Pakistan has made critical contributions in the global war
against terrorism and has apprehended over 600 operatives to bring
them to justice.

Kerry to support India-Pakistan detente
Daily Times
***********

(posted by: Aslam Khwaja, lathrolak@...)

WASHINGTON: Sen John Kerry has said that his administration will
focus on developments in South Asia on a consistent basis, not only
when crises arise.

In an exclusive interview with Aziz Haniffa of India Abroad, due for
publication this week, the Democratic contender for the presidency
said short-term crisis management in the region is not enough. He
quoted an Asia Society task force report which said the US should
adopt a "more active, and more forward-leaning American approach" to
help India and Pakistan sustain efforts to normalise relations.

Kerry said, "As President, that is the approach I will take. I will
work to promote intra-regional trade, including a normal economic
relationship between India and Pakistan – this is an important
confidence building measure. But we must keep in mind one
fundamental fact. It is up to the two countries to reconcile long-
standing differences, including Kashmir. The process must be `home-
grown.' But we should do everything we can to support it." Asked
that since US policy over the years has been to encourage India and
Pakistan to resolve differences, including Kashmir, bilaterally and
Washington has made it clear it will not mediate unless asked to by
both sides, what will he as President do, he replied, "We all have
an interest in seeing the Kashmir issue resolved in a fair and
equitable and – this is essential – peaceful manner.

The Indians, and Pakistanis, have an even more direct interest in
wanting to ensure this problem does not impede the progress made
over the past year. The solution rests in New Delhi, Islamabad, and
Srinagar. No solution can be imposed from the outside. The US role
over the years has been largely passive, reactive, and – with one or
two exceptions, as when President Clinton persuaded Pakistan to turn
back at the time." khalid hassan

Time report: LoC inaccurate: India
September 20, 2004
******************

India on Monday termed as 'completely and wholly inaccurate' a report
in Time magazine that suggested that India will offer to 'adjust' the
Line of Control 'by a matter of miles eastwards'.

The American magazine, which has put Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on
the cover of its latest issue, quoted an unnamed Indian official as
saying that while in New York, Singh will make an offer to help
defuse the situation in Kashmir.

  Reacting to the report, an official spokesman accompanying Singh
said, "This is completely and wholly inaccurate. Any suggestion that
the prime minister will make such an offer is factually wrong.

"As has been said on several occasions, including at the prime
minister's press conference at 10 Downing Street this afternoon, the
prime minister looks forward to his meeting with President Gen Pervez
Musharraf of Pakistan in New York, and to discuss all matters of
bilateral interest including a review of the composite dialogue.

But "There is no question of any territorial concession being offered
by India to Pakistan."

Indian-Pakistani Peaceniks share Magsaysay honour
*************************************************

For 2004, the Magsaysay award was presented to Mr. Laxminarayan
Ramdas, chairperson of the Pakistan-India People's Forum for Peace
and Democracy, and Ibn Abdur Rehman, director of the Human Rights
Commission of Pakistan for "their reaching across a hostile border
to nurture a citizen-based consensus for peace between Pakistan and
India.

The Award was named after the late Philippine President Ramon
Magsaysay and is known as the Asian equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
Both awardees described the history of conflict between India and
Pakistan and spoke about experiments at dialogue which included
successful conventions in the two countries attended by people of
both nationalities.

Speaking at a forum organized by the Asian Institute of Management
to facilitate the two awardees, Mr. Rehman said, "The forum was born
out of an initiative for people-to-people dialogue. We have had six
conventions: three in India, three in Pakistan. We persuaded
parliamentarians and businessmen from India to visit Pakistan, and
vice versa... They discovered a different Pakistan than what they
had read in textbooks."

"Amid wars, we persuaded in communicating," added Mr. Ramdas. "This
provided encouragement to people that this must be sustained... We
must learn managing for change. The best area of our concentration
has been addressing the new generation so they can accept change as
it arises." "It is ultimately the people's will that must be
represented. No bilateral agreement between two leaders can succeed
unless it genuinely reflects the will of the people... Let humanity
come first and nationality be pushed to the background."

These efforts have occurred in the backdrop of development of
nuclear weapons and possibilities of a nuclear catastrophe during
periods of increased deployment of armed forces. While, the problem
seems intractable both Ibn Abdur Rehman of Pakistan and Laxminarayan
Ramdas of India believe there is hope. As leaders of the Pakistan-
India Peoples' Forum for Peace and Democracy, they are building
popular support for peace on both sides of the border.

Abdur Rehman, a Punjabi Muslim born in 1930, was away at Aligarh
University in 1947 when Partition violence erupted in his hometown
and several members of his family were killed by rampaging
communalists. Rehman was obliged to migrate to Pakistan with his
father. In Lahore, he found his vocation in journalism, rising from
post to post at leading Pakistani publications to become chief
editor of the Pakistan Times in 1989. By 1993, Rehman had left the
Times, under pressure for criticizing the government.

Laxminarayan Ramdas, a Hindu from Mumbai, was fourteen at the time
and living in Delhi. He describes his family as one that respected
plurality of religious faiths. Ramdas became a cadet at India's
Armed Forces Academy in Dehradun and, later, the Royal Naval College
in Dartmouth, England. He rose from command to command until, in
1990, he was named chief of India's navy. Ramdas had since retired
and now has a Pakistani son-in-law.

As tensions again rose between India and Pakistan, both men sought
to influence their countries to change course. In September 1994,
Rehman joined twenty-four like-minded Indians and Pakistanis in
Lahore to open a public dialogue for reconciliation and peace. This
led to the formation of the Pakistan-India Peoples' Forum for Peace
and Democracy. Rehman became founding chair of the Pakistan branch;
Ramdas was named vice-chair of the India branch and became chair in
1996. Both men guided the organization until 2003.

The main strategy for increased peace in the South Asia, this group
decided, was dialogue. In a series of conventions beginning in 1995,
it drew hundreds of Indians and Pakistanis together to promote
demilitarization, denuclearization, and peace and to publish
resolutions insisting upon mutual arms reductions and troop
pullbacks; an end to cross-border provocations; and a "peaceful,
democratic solution" in Kashmir. Meeting alternately in Pakistan and
India, the conventions sustained this dialogue for ten years.

Over time, the Forum's base has grown to embrace a web of
environmental, human rights, trade union, and women's rights
activists as well as concerned citizens from the academia, industry,
and the professions. During these years, the Forum organized people-
to-people delegations of lawmakers, diplomats, soldiers, artists,
and students to open friendly talk channels between Indians and
Pakistanis and to counteract propaganda in each country demonizing
the other. It campaigned for the liberalization of travel between
the two countries and for the revision of hate-filled school
textbooks.

At another level, Forum leaders such as Rehman and Ramdas worked
behind the scenes with national leaders and opinion makers to
promote the peace agenda. The Forum's mission is quite simple and
grounded in reality. "It is enough," Rehman says, "to contribute in
easing the tension between the two countries by providing
opportunities for people to meet."

(Source: www.thesouthasian.org)

All persons wishing to march must register by 1st December, 2004
with their passport details.

For more details about the peace march or interest in
participating in the peace march you may contact the following.

Karamat Ali
PILER
ST-001, Sector X, Sub-Sector V
Gulshan-e-Maymar, Karachi – 75340
Pakistan
Tel: (9221) 6351145, 46, 47
Fax: (9221) 6350354, 6350919
email: piler@...

AND/OR

Sandeep Pandey,
NAPM,
A-893, Indira Nagar, Lucknow-226016. India.
Ph(0522)2347365,9839073355
Fax: (0522) 2353020
e-mail: piler@... bobbyramakant@...

***********************************
ROUTE OF INDIA PAKISTAN PEACE MARCH
***********************************

Date Place Distance from previous place (in km)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
23rd March, 2005 Delhi
24th March Naya Azadpur
25th March Narela 17
26th March Sonepat 18
27th March Rajlugadhi 11
28th March Samalkha 17
29th March Panipat 17
30th March Gharonda 16
31st March Karnal 18
1st April Nilokheri 16
2nd April Kurukshetra 17
3rd April Shahabad Markanda 22
4th April Ambala 20
5th April Rajpura 20
6th April Sarhind 26
7th April Khanna 18
8th April Sonewal 27
9th April Ludhiyana 15
10th April Phalor 13
11th April Phagwara 23
12th April Jhalandhar 21
13th April Kartarpur 15
14th April Beas 21
15th April Jhandyala 24
16th -17th April Amritsar 19
18th April Wagha 27
19th -20th April Lahore 30
21st April Rai Bind 15
22nd April Premnagar 15
23rd April Bhai Pheru 15
24th April Changa Manga 15
25th April Pattoki 15
26th April Habibpur 20
27th April Renala Khurd 20
28th April Okara 18
29th April to be decided 20
30th April Sahiwal 20
1st May Harappa 20
2nd May Chinchawatani 20
3rd May Kasowal 15
4th May Mian Chunnu 20
5th May Abdul Hakim
6th May Kachcha Khuh
7th May Pirowal
8th May Khanewal
9th -10th May to be decided
11th May Multan
****************************************************
All persons wishing to march must register by 1st December, 2004
with their passport details.

For more details about the peace march or interest in
participating in the peace march you may contact the following.

Karamat Ali
PILER
ST-001, Sector X, Sub-Sector V
Gulshan-e-Maymar, Karachi – 75340
Pakistan
Tel: (9221) 6351145, 46, 47
Fax: (9221) 6350354, 6350919
email: piler@...

AND/OR

Sandeep Pandey,
NAPM,
A-893, Indira Nagar, Lucknow-226016. India.
Ph(0522)2347365,9839073355
Fax: (0522) 2353020
e-mail: piler@... bobbyramakant@...

The Indo-Pak Peace: The McDonald's theory
Interview with Thomas L Friedman
September 13, 2004
******************

  [ Thomas L Friedman, the legendary foreign affairs columnist of The
New York Times. A three-time Pulitzer Prize winner for reporting
from and commentary on the Middle East, Friedman visited India some
months ago more convinced in 'The McDonald's theory for Indo-Pak
peace process- Moderation Team]

As he later told his audience at Pace University's Michael Schimmel
Centre for the Arts in downtown Manhattan, "Outsourcing is the
canary in the coal mine." Meaning: it is not the issue in itself,
but just the first warning of a larger issue.
---------------------------------------------

Part I: 'India has the innate ability to glocalize'

This was your second major trip to India in two years. What kind of
changes did you see from last time?

More, better, bigger. More of everything. I have been to Delhi and
Bangalore a couple of times; this time I was only in Bangalore, for
my own reporting and to film a documentary for The New York Times
and Discovery.

Is the film about outsourcing?

Not just outsourcing, but outsourcing from the Indian perspective.
We are looking at India and outsourcing. We are not going to start
with some software engineer in Silicon Valley who lost his job. It's
really about India and it's called The World Ate My Job.

As a leading international affairs and foreign policy analyst today,
how do you see India-Pakistan relations affecting trade and growth
in the region?

Well, I believe that we are seeing a rapprochement and the cricket
diplomacy is a reflection of this. I think this rapprochement is
driven very much by my McDonald's theory, only in the 3.0 form. In
2.0, I wrote that no two countries that have McDonald's have ever
fought a war since each got McDonald's. That was really an argument
about trade and integration.

Now we got to 3.0 and I have a variation on my McDonald's theory. In
my new theory, no two countries that are part of a global supply
chain will fight ever a war against each other as long as they are
each part of the supply chain. So it's a level deeper.

When you, India, become the backroom of American Express and General
Electric, you can't take a day off, you can't say, 'Sorry GE, we got
to take a week off to fight a war, a nuclear war on top of it,' and
GE says, 'Sorry India, we are now talking about trade. You are
running my credit card business, my healthcare business, my employee
retirement plan, you can't take a minute off, let alone a day or
week.'

I believe that reality which began in Bangalore and Chennai and
Hyderabad has percolated upwards and not just in the specific sense.
Every young person we met in the course of the documentary we asked
about Kashmir and Pakistan -- well, people are nationalists and they
believe in Kashmir in the Indian national sense that it's theirs and
whatnot -- but as far as fighting wars, the mood was, 'Oh come on,
I've got better things to do!'

And the government reflected that. When I was there, a quote from
Vajpayee said, 'We can't afford a war anymore.' Now, that's why I
want nothing more than for Pakistan to be part of the world of
Infosys because both India and Pakistan are part of the global
supply chains. Then we are really getting somewhere. The problem is
when one is and one isn't, because then I can really pull your
chain, you are almost more vulnerable, India. The other guys are,
like, Israel and Palestine, where one is hyper-connected and the
other has this mediæval form of suicide.

India has so much to gain because you have so much more to do, in a
world where you can do it. I hope it goes somewhere, for India's
sake and for Pakistan's sake because I think the more rapprochement,
the more context, the more Pakistanis are gonna come over for the
next NASSCOM conference in Mumbai and say, 'Hey, wait a minute, we
have got the same name, we look the same, we talk the same, we have
got the same DNA, there's only one thing missing and that's
governance.'

I think India has a powerful potential to influence Pakistan in a
positive way as much as Saudi Arabia influenced it in a negative
way. To me, it's a struggle. Is it going to be call centres or
madrassas? And Pakistan, that's the real battleground. Is it going
to be IITs for Pakistan or only Islamic universities that only teach
religion? I have no problem with Islamic universities, I just want
them to teach other things than just religion.

India and Pakistan are beginning to talk, India and the US are
strategic partners, but Pakistan has been designated a Major Non-
NATO Ally. There's been a lot of heartburn on the Indian side
regarding the manner of the announcement. Do you see that affecting
India-US or India-Pak relations?

If I had a choice between being designated a Major Non-NATO partner
or ally of the US and being part of the outsourcing of America's
defence, or I could have Infosys and Wipro and being part of the
outsourcing of the American economy, I would choose the latter. That
is to say, if I were India, I would just ignore this. I don't think
it's important at all because there is something deeply organic
about the Indian-American relationship that's evolving. It's built
on so many different levels, it's built on Indians coming here and
starting companies or working for companies and going back to India.
We are developing a symbiotic relationship.

The Pakistan-America relationship is currently entirely at the top.
Some might argue it's one man to one man. The India-America
relationship is built from the ground up, it's people to people, and
I hope the Pakistan-America relationship would become people to
people, I don't want it to be based on one man to one man.

But India has to show more self-confidence. Sometimes it gets a
little rattled. If I look at these relationships in terms of their
real weight -- and you measure the weight of a relationship people-
to-people, not man-to-man, leader-to-leader -- they are not even
close. It should be Pakistan that should be rattled. I would like
Pakistan and America to have a people-to-people relationship and
that's only possible when Pakistan's a democracy, when people can
choose.

What is driving the America-India relationship is that we have
voluntarily chosen to be partners in a very intimate way. You are
running the backroom of our companies. Who cares if we designate you
a big strategic NATO ally? It's meaningless, to me at least.
Sometimes I think India needs to calm down a little bit.

What about the US-India trade imbalance, which is heavily skewed in
India's favour? Also, India has taken the leading in opposing the US
on agricultural subsidies at the WTO rounds. How will that trade
deficit affect the India-US relationship?

I can't speak specifically on some of these issues because I'm not
up on them. But what I would simply say is that my strategy towards
India is not to complain about outsourcing. It would be to open
those sectors of the Indian economy that are still closed to what we
do best: insurance, finances, financial banking.

You know that I am against agricultural subsidies. I want farmers in
the developing world to develop and I want our farms to be used to
improve our environment.

Going back to Pakistan, what do you make of the 'nuclear WalMart',
as it has been described by some?

Honestly, I haven't followed it. It is very disturbing. Obviously, A
Q Khan was out of control.

But do you think it was possible for him to have acted alone?

I have no idea. As you know from my columns, I have not explored
that deeply and I have a bad habit of not commenting on things I
don't know about (laughs).

Besides ties with the US and Pakistan, India and Israel have been
growing closer, despite the fact that India has traditionally been a
supporter of the Palestinian cause, and later opposed the war on
Iraq.

The war on terrorism has clearly nudged India and Israel together;
they feel they share a common enemy. At the same time, globalization
has very naturally shoved them together, because they have this
enormous amount of business they can do, there's a lot of
comparative advantage between the two. Israel has its hi-tech
sector, very advanced, equivalent of Silicon Valley in some ways,
and they are particularly good in military technologies, so it's a
lot of comparative advantage. I think that's a good thing.

I'm glad it's happening, but I don't want it to happen against the
Muslim world. It will flourish, and only flourish, and reach its
full potential if there is some kind of peace arrangement where
India, which has a substantial Muslim population, doesn't have to do
this in secret. It's happening for some organic reasons, but there
needs to be some sort of peace context where India can feel totally
comfortable and totally good in forging ahead with this relationship
and not have to do it in secret.

India has the second largest Muslim population after Indonesia. But
the war on terror is largely seen as a war against Islam. How can
India counter that and what is your opinion on that perception?

I believe the war on terror is not a war with Islam, it's a war
within Islam. We as outsiders, whether India or the US, it's our job
to use our influence anywhere we can to help the good guys defeat
the bad guys, to help those who believe in tolerance and pluralism
and democracy defeat those who believe in intolerance, jihad,
authoritarianism, and terrorism. And if there is no war within
Islam, and the bad guys are allowed to set the agenda, then there
will be a war with Islam.

But I don't think we are there at all. Right now we are seeing the
war within Islam play out and we should do everything we can to make
sure the good guys win.

How do you see that playing out, the war within Islam, because a lot
of them are dictated to by religious clerics and leaders?

I supported the war on Iraq not for WMD. The only justification for
my argument was the regime. It is so important to create a space in
the heart of the Arab Muslim world where people who believe in
tolerance, pluralism, and modernism can stand up and speak out.

It's interesting, because the preachers were supposed to condemn
what happened [the killing of four US contractors in June], but
let's see what they said (reads from a news story on his
computer: 'They condemned the mutilation of the bodies, but did not
criticize the killings...').

Do you think the war in Iraq is going to be another Vietnam for the
US?

It's not Vietnam. It may end like Vietnam, but it's a totally
different context. And I believe that trying to fight the war of
ideas within the heart of the Arab-Muslim world by partnering with
the Iraqi people by trying to build a decent state in the heart of
their world is not only the right strategy, it's the only strategy.

It may be though that it's a fool's errand. It may turn out that the
politics and culture of that part of the world is just too encrusted
to break through. It may be, but from a national security point of
view, it wasn't just the right thing to do, it was the only thing to
do. And Lord knows I grieve for every soldier that's been killed
there and I don't say that lightly. But do I believe that their
being dispatched there was an unconscionable deployment of our
troops. From a national interest point of view, it was right and
rational.

Has this administration done it the best way they could? Absolutely
not. But if you think the status quo was benign or that the only
reckless thing here was doing something about it, was trying to
change it, then I tell you the status quo brought us 9/11, the
status quo brought us two Arab human development reports. So that's
my feeling, it may not work, we are right in the middle of this.

But I'm putting this at a national security level. But if you were
the mother or father of someone who was killed, your heart would
ache as someone who advocated this and it hasn't worked. So from a
personal point of view, I would apologize; but from a national
interest point of view, your son did not die in vain, did not die in
some ridiculous adventure, this is not Mogadishu, this is not even
Vietnam. There is a real, underlying logic to fighting the war on
ideas and doing it this way.

But it may be that we are just too radioactive and that part of the
world is just too encrusted for us to change, and at some point
here, we are going to make that calculation.

As a columnist, how does it feel to know that your column was picked
up by a Saudi prince as a peace proposal? How do you react to
something like that?

I'm thrilled! My motto as a columnist has always been: 'Do you want
to make a point or do you want to make a difference?' I'm not here
to beat my breast and make a point, I really want to make a
difference, not because I am a megalomaniac who wants to control the
world, but because I have children and I want them to grow up in a
better world than the one I grew up in, a less dangerous world than
the one they are growing up in now, and one that is as peaceful as
the one I grew up in! That's what motivates me, that I am a parent,
that's the key to what makes me tick.

I love my country, I think it's the greatest country in the world, I
am an unabashed American patriot, ok? And I want it to flourish and
thrive, for the sake of my kids and because I believe America is a
blessing for the world.

We do a lot of stupid things, and we have done a lot of stupid and
bad things in history, but very few good things happen in the world
without America somehow being involved. I believe a strong and
healthy America is essential for the progress of the world.

I like to think I am very independent and unpredictable because I
have got my eye on my own horizon, what I believe is good for
America and for the world, and I think people get that about me. So
if my peace proposal inspires the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, that
makes me feel really good.

Pakistan India People's Forum for Peace and Democracy
UP Chapter
A-893, Indira Nagar, Lucknow-226016.
(0522) 2347365, 09415022772

Indian Delegation in Lahore
***************************

PIPFPD 10th Anniversary Celebrations begin amid trumpet blasts
--------------------------------------------------------------

A seventy member delegation of the Pakistan India People's Forum for
Peace and Democracy crossed over to Pakistan at the Attari-Wahga
border today to participate in the three day joint celebration of
the Forum's 10th Anniversary, being organised in Lahore.

This includes 6 people from UP, noted NBA activist Arundhati Dhuru,
NAPM/Asha activist Mahesh, peace activist Irfan Ahmad, Geeta Dayal,
Nidhi Bansal and senior Advocate Ravi Kiran Jain.

The Indian delegation to Pakistan consists of many prominent
journalists, artists, academicians, business people, women's rights
activists, students and NGO activists. The delegation is headed by
Mr. Tapan K Bose (General Secretary, Indian Chapter, PIPFPD).
Prominent Artists like Shri. L.K. Pandit, Smt. Meeta Pandit and
Kamal Sabra are also part of the delegation and will be performing
Hindustani classical music at Lahore as part of the cultural
celebrations. Others in the delegation include Shri Ved Bhasin,.
Amdiral (Rtd) Ramu Ramdas, Shri Gautam Navlakha, Shri Sumit
Chakravarthy, Ms Pushpa Bhave, Mr NS Nanda and Smt. Arundhati Dhuru.

The three-day celebrations commemorate the formation of the Forum 10
years ago in Lahore, when about 50 peace activists from India and
Pakistan issued a joint Declaration promoting peace and democracy in
the two countries. The 10th Anniversary day (4th September) will be
celebrated by day-long seminar/discussions on different substantive
issues existing between the two countries and cultural programmes
from both countries.

The 10th Anniversary programme will also finalise the Peace Marches
in India and Pakistan, culminating at the border points of Munabao
(Rajasthan) and Kokhrapar (Sindh region) and the Joint Indo-Pak
Peace March prior to the PIPFPD's 7th Joint Convention in New Delhi.

Delegation faces problems at Attari Border, on Indian side

The Indian delegation complained of harassment and lack of co-
operation by the Indian Immigration officials at the Attari border-
post, where they were held up for long hours. Mr. Tapan Bose,
General Secretary of PIPFPD complained of lack of co-operation and
virtual harassment by border officials. Mr. Tapan said, "if the
Government of India headed by the UPA is genuine in its commitment
to keep up the people to people interaction, they must keep such
channels people friendly and not create obstacles".

Sandeep-Arundhati, Irfan Ahmad, Ravi Kiran Jain, Saarika Kalia,
Farid Abassi, Mahesh, Bobby Ramakant

Preparatory meeting for the India Pakistan Peace March
Lahore, September 5, 2004, 3:00pm
*********************************

Dear Friends,
This is to inform you that those of you who are either attending the
10th anniversary of PIPFPD (Pakistan India People's Forum for Peace
and Democracy) in Lahore or can attend the Preparatory Meeting for
Peace March in Lahore, are welcome to join in.
Please call IRFAN MUFTI at 03008480822, or KARAMAT ALI at
03008237528 to confirm your participation or seek more information
about logistics/ meeting.

PREPARATORY MEETING,
3pm onwards
September 5, 2004
LAHORE...

thanks,

Moderation Team

Introductory message:
---------------------
India Pakistan Peace March
March 23-May 11, 2005
*********************

[Moderation Team's note: Please ignore the earlier note circulated.
The Introductory note below has been edited by people from both the
nations and has consent of all key people involved with this
initiative. THanks and apologies]

	 Probably nowhere in the world do we have a situation where
people are as emotionally entwined as between India and Pakistan and
yet there is an enmity thrust upon them. The cruel turn of events in
history resulted in political separation leading to a bloody
migration of masses of people. Family links were severed and a deep
scars were left. Even the post partition history has remained quite
tumultuous, interspersed with four wars and loss of innumerable
innocent lives.
Kashmir remains a sore point between India and Pakistan threatening
to take both countries to self-destruction. Even though common people
never benefit from violence and hatred, fundamentalists groups within
religion and politics in South Asia have ensured that the animosity
will continue to take heavy toll on both sides.
Common people on both sides are now fed up of being targets of
violence and of atmosphere of antagonism. They want friendship, peace
and normal relations to be established between the two countries. We
have seen that even though the ruling elites of the two countries are
usually suspicious of each other, whenever the common people of the
two countries get to meet, all walls of reservation against each
other melt as warm emotions of affinity surge. It is like people of
same family meeting each other after years of forced separation.
Enmity, hatred and distance are only superficial and soon give way
to warmth and friendship.
We feel that if real peace and friendship has to be established
between the peoples of India and Pakistan, the initiative will have
to be taken by people of the two countries. So far, the governments
have tried to create artificial barriers between the two countries
preventing easy access to the other country and free mingling among
the people. However, now there is a subtle change in the atmosphere.
The governments seem more willing than before to allow the people of
two countries to interact freely and also seem to be supportive of
the people-to-people level initiatives. Various initiatives are being
undertaken. We plan to organize a peace march between Delhi and
Multan beginning March 23, 2005. The long march will allow peace-
loving people of both countries to participate in the grassroots
initiative for peace and friendship and will help build an
atmosphere among the common people of the two countries, which will
ultimately persuade the two governments to follow suit.
For more details about the peace march or interest in participating
in the peace march you may contact the following:

Karamat Ali 		 Sandeep Pandey
PILER 			 NAPM
ST-001, Sector X, Sub-Sector V  A-893, Indira Nagar
Gulshan-e-Maymar, Karachi – 75340 Lucknow-226016, U.P.
Pakistan 		 India
Tel: (9221) 6351145, 46, 47  Tel: (0522) 2347365,
                                         Cell: 9839073355
Fax: (9221) 6350354, 6350919  Fax: (0522) 2353020
e-mail: piler@...  bobbyramakant@...

Please visit our website at www.thesouthasian.org and
subscribe to indpakpeacemarch@yahoogroups.com to receive regular
information about the peace march or send mail to moderator at
indopakpeacemarch@...
-----------------------------------------------------------------
All persons wishing to march must register by 1st December, 2004
with their passport details.
-----------------------------------------------------------------

ROUTE OF INDIAPAKISTAN PEACE MARCH
**********************************
Date 	 Place         Distance from previous place
23rd March, 2005 Delhi
24th March  Naya Azadpur
25th March  Narela 	 17
26th March  Sonepat 	 18
27th March  Rajlugadhi  11
28th March  Samalkha  17
29th March  Panipat 	 17
30th March  Gharonda  16
31st March  Karnal 	 18
1st April  Nilokheri  16
2nd April  Kurukshetra  17
3rd April  Shahabad Markanda 22
4th April  Ambala 	 20
5th April  Rajpura 	 20
6th April  Sarhind 	 26
7th April  Khanna 	 18
8th April  Sonewal 	 27
9th April  Ludhiyana  15
10th April  Phalor 	 13
11th April  Phagwara  23
12th April  Jhalandhar  21
13th April  Kartarpur  15
14th April  Beas 	 21
15th April  Jhandyala  24
16th -17thApril  Amritsar  19
18th April  Wagha 	 27
19th -20thApril  Lahore 	 30
21st April  Rai Bind  15
22nd April  Premnagar  15
23rd April  Bhai Pheru  15
24th April  Changa Manga  15
25th April  Pattoki 	 15
26th April  Habibpur  20
27th April  Renala Khurd  20
28th April  Okara 	 18
29th April  to be decided  20
30th April  Sahiwal 	 20
1st May 	 Harappa 	 20
2nd May 	 Chinchawatani  20
3rd May 	 Kasowal 	 15
4th May 	 Mian Chunnu  20
5th May 	 Abdul Hakim
6th May 	 Kachcha Khuh
7th May 	 Pirowal
8th May 	 Khanewal
9th -10th May  to be decided
11th May  Multan

ROUTE OF INDIA PAKISTAN PEACE MARCH
***********************************

Date 	 Place Distance from previous place (in km)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
23rd March, 2005 Delhi
24th March  Naya Azadpur
25th March  Narela 	 17
26th March  Sonepat 	 18
27th March  Rajlugadhi  11
28th March  Samalkha  17
29th March  Panipat 	 17
30th March  Gharonda  16
31st March  Karnal 	 18
1st April  Nilokheri  16
2nd April  Kurukshetra  17
3rd April  Shahabad Markanda 22
4th April  Ambala 	        20
5th April  Rajpura 	        20
6th April  Sarhind 	        26
7th April  Khanna 	        18
8th April  Sonewal 	        27
9th April  Ludhiyana  15
10th April  Phalor 	        13
11th April  Phagwara  23
12th April  Jhalandhar  21
13th April  Kartarpur  15
14th April  Beas 	 21
15th April  Jhandyala  24
16th -17th  April Amritsar  19
18th April  Wagha 	 27
19th -20th  April Lahore 	        30
21st April  Rai Bind  15
22nd April  Premnagar  15
23rd April  Bhai Pheru  15
24th April  Changa Manga         15
25th April  Pattoki 	        15
26th April  Habibpur  20
27th April  Renala Khurd         20
28th April  Okara 	 18
29th April  to be decided         20
30th April  Sahiwal 	        20
1st May 	 Harappa 	        20
2nd May 	 Chinchawatani         20
3rd May 	 Kasowal 	        15
4th May 	 Mian Chunnu  20
5th May 	 Abdul Hakim
6th May 	 Kachcha Khuh
7th May 	 Pirowal
8th May 	 Khanewal
9th -10th May  to be decided
11th May  Multan
****************************************************
All persons wishing to march must register by 1st December, 2004
with their passport details.

	 For more details about the peace march or interest in
participating in the peace march you may contact the following.

Karamat Ali 			    Sandeep Pandey
PILER                                           NAPM
ST-001, Sector X, Sub-Sector V  A-893, Indira Nagar
Gulshan-e-Maymar, Karachi – 75340 Lucknow-226016, U.P.
Pakistan 		 India
Tel: (9221) 6351145, 46, 47  Ph(0522)2347365,9839073355
Fax: (9221) 6350354, 6350919  Fax: (0522) 2353020
e-mail: piler@...  bobbyramakant@...

Please visit our website at www.thesouthasian.org and
subscribe to indpakpeacemarch@yahoogroups.com to receive regular
information about the peace march or send mail to moderator at
indopakpeacemarch@...

INDIA PAKISTAN PEACE MARCH
DELHI TO MULTAN, 23rd MARCH- 11th MAY, 2005
*******************************************

	 Probably nowhere in the world we have a situation where
people are as emotionally entwined as between India and Pakistan and
yet there is an enmity thrust upon them. The cruel turn of events in
the history resulted in political separation even though the
majority of common people were never consulted and the world
witnessed a bloody mass cross movement of people.  Family links were
severed and a deep scar was left. Even the post partition history
has remained quite tumultuous interspersed with four wars and loss
of innumerable valuable lives. Kashmir remains a sore point between
India and Pakistan threatening to take both countries to self-
destruction. Even though the common people never want violence and
hatred, the fundamentalist elements on both sides as well as the
political compulsions have ensured that the animosity will continue
to take heavy toll on both sides.

	 Common people on both sides are now fed up with violence and
atmosphere of antagonism. They want friendship, peace and normal
relations to be established between the two countries.  We have seen
that even though the governments of the two countries may be
suspicious of each other whenever the common people of the two
countries get to meet all walls of reservation against each other
melt as warm emotions of affinity surge. It is almost like people of
same family meeting each other after years of separation.  The
enmity, hatred and distance is only artificial and soon gives way to
warmth, friendship and camaraderie.

	 We feel that if real peace and friendship has to be
established between India and Pakistan, the initiative will have to
be taken by people of the two countries. The governments will merely
follow the will of the people. So far, the governments have tried to
create an artificial barrier between the two countries preventing
easy access to the other country and free mingling among the
people.  However, now there is a subtle change in the atmosphere.
The governments seem more willing than before to allow the people of
two countries to interact freely and also seem to be supportive of
the people-to-people level initiatives.  Various initiatives are
being undertaken to bring down the artificial wall between India and
Pakistan. We plan to organize a peace march between Delhi and Multan
beginning March 23, 2005. The long march will allow peace loving
people of both countries to participate in the grassroots initiative
for peace and friendship and will help build an atmosphere among the
common people of the two countries which will ultimately persuade
the two governments to follow suit.

	 For more details about the peace march or interest in
participating in the peace march you may contact the following.

Karamat Ali 			       Sandeep Pandey
PILER                                              NAPM
ST-001, Sector X, Sub-Sector V 	 A-893, Indira Nagar
Gulshan-e-Maymar, Karachi – 75340  Lucknow-226016, U.P.
Pakistan 			 India
Tel: (9221) 6351145, 46, 47 Tel: (0522) 2347365, Cell: 9839073355
Fax: (9221) 6350354, 6350919 	 Fax: (0522) 2353020
e-mail: piler@... e-mail: bobbyramakant@...

Please visit our website at www.thesouthasian.org and
subscribe to indpakpeacemarch@yahoogroups.com to receive regular
information about the peace march or send mail to moderator at
indopakpeacemarch@...
*****************************************************************
All persons wishing to march must register by 1st December, 2004
with their passport details.
*****************************************************************

Dear Convenor (Hindu Muslim Friendship),

Please send the details of meeting  including expenditures.

looking forward

malik Ashraf
Executive Director
Youth Welfare Oreganization
Bright Home , Eidgah Colony
Lodhran city. Pakistan.
Phone & Fax: 0092 6517 61176, 62021.
Mobile: 0300 6826926
E mail: youthpk2002@...

Willing to organize a meeting in 3rd week of October, New Delhi
Hindu Muslim Friendship Association, hindumuslimfriend@...
August 30, 2004
***************

Dear Moderator,
Please send mail address and some important names of the Initiator
at both Countries of this peace march.

We are going to organise a meeting on third week of October at New-
Delhi,

Regards,

Convenor,
Hindu Muslim Friendship Association
hindumuslimfriend@...

RRES wants fresh update information on India Pakistan Peace March
Rana M Naem, jjtleadingtheworld@...
August 27, 2004
***************

Respected Karamat Ali, PILER, KARACHI,
                                     it is hoped that u will be fine
& busy in your development activities. i would be very thankful if
you can please send me fresh update information about the proposed
India Pakistan Peace March at our maling adress  & tell us that
how many participants can participate & what about the application
matter/ process.
i will wait for your reply send it as soon as you can,

sincerly

rana
m naeem

sec gen
rafiq research & educational socity

jamilla jamshed foundation

opp nursing hostal lodhran

punjab pakistan

06517,62451,03006809563