People React

In the midst of the mindless euphoria and wild jubilation that followed the event, something unique happened in Balochistan, the province in which the nuclear test site Chaghi is situated. The Provincial Government publicly expressed deep resentment against the use of its territory, without its knowledge, by the Federal Government for carrying out the nuclear tests. The Provincial Assembly squarely condemned it.

Notwithstanding attempts to muzzle dissent, within a month of the nuclear tests, the concerned sections of society articulated their response to the nuclear tests. The disapproval and concerns of Pakistani citizensí groups, trade unions, political parties, women and human rights organisations, professional groups, academia, students and youth, economists, journalists, intellectuals and environmentalists over nuclearization of South Asia resulted in the creation of peace forums in various cities, e.g, -

· Joint Action Committee for Peopleís Rights (JAC) which had already been actively working on human rights issues initiated anti-nuclear peace activities in Lahore.
· The peace activists of Rawalpindi / Islamabad formed the Citizensí Peace Committee (CPC).
· In Karachi, the peace activists who had held their  first protest meeting following the Indian tests, formed the Action Committee Against Arms Race (ACAAR).

Mr. Yusuf Mustikhan, a prominent political leader who has been active in the anti-nuclear and peace movement and at whose residence the first post-test meeting of concerned citizens of Karachi was held on 20th May, was elected as Convener of ACAAR. Later on, Mr. Mustikhan, while continuing to lend full support to the peace initiative of ACAAR, relinquished the position, and Professor Dr. Haroon Ahmed was elected in his place. Branches of ACAAR were  subsequently formed in Larkana, Sukkur and Quetta.

· During the following months, more groups were formed in different cities. A new group, named Citizens for Peace, was formed in Peshawar on Oct 9, 1998 at a meeting attended by university teachers, NGO workers, women activists and political activists, organised by the Peshawar Education Network (PEN) at the Institute of Development Studies, Agricultural University Peshawar. The meeting expressed concern over the nuclearisation of South Asia. About 35 persons participated.
Dr. Zulfiiqar Gilani of PEN facilitated the meeting while B. M. Kutty, Secretary, Action Committee Against Arms Race Karachi and Omar Asghar Khan of the Citizens Peace Committee Rawalpindi / Islamabad shared with them the experiences of peace initiatives in Karachi and Islamabad/Rawalpindi.

· These organisations came up with a clear mission to condemn nuclearization of South Asia.

Specific Activities: Statements, Seminars, Publications, Rallies, Exhibitions, Films

In Karachi
In Islamabad / Rawalpindi
In Lahore

---

HOME      BACK TO HISTORY     CONTINUE.....