Citizens Against War
JOINT STATEMENT BY EMINENT PERSONS
26 INDIANS AND 26 PAKISTANIS[3 June 2002]
(Simultaneously released in Lahore)
The spectre of another conflict between India and Pakistan is haunting one-fifth of humankind. As concerned Pakistanis and Indians, we urge the governments of the two countries to refrain from seeking military solutions to eminently political problems. Wars have offered no solutions in the past. It is irrational to expect that a fourth, bloodier and costlier war can do so in future. To the contrary, it will deepen the conflict between the two countries, add to the burden of military spending, reinforce militaristic and chauvinistic elements, and negate the process of democratization and development.
We believe there are no outstanding problems, including terrorism and Kashmir, which cannot be solved peacefully in a manner, which could be acceptable to both the peoples and governments in India and Pakistan in the spirit of Simla Agreement. Terrorists have no respect for life, peace, much less a country's sovereignty. They killed innocent French, American and Pakistanis in Karachi and Islamabad, shot dead in Kaluchak near Jammu bus passengers and family members of armed forces personnel and many many others in the recent past. We condemn all acts of terrorism and urge the two governments jointly to act against terrorists and their organizations simultaneously addressing causes underlying mindless violence.
We appeal to the governments of India and Pakistan to initiate a bold new process of peace and cooperation in South Asia.
Signatories from India (Alphabetical)
1. Ajit Bhattacharjee: Press Institute of India, New Delhi
2. Amrik Singh: Former Vice Chancellor, University of Punjab, New Delhi
3. Arundhati Roy:Writer and activist, New Delhi
4. Bimal Prasad: Professor and Former High Commissioner to Nepal, New Delhi
5.B.G.Verghese: Professor Centre for Policy Research and Journalist, New Delhi
6. Imtiaz Ahmad: Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
7. Jilani Bano, Writer, Andhra Pradesh
8 Justice Krishna Iyer: Eminent scholar and Former Judge. Kerala
9. Justice Rajendra Sachar: Human Rights Activist and Former Judge, New Delhi
10 Justice V.M. Tarkunde , Chair Kashmir Coordination Cmtee and Former Judge
11 Kartar Singh Duggal, Writer and Member Rajya Sabha
12 Kuldip Nayar: Writer and Member Rajya Sabha, New Delhi
13 Lt. General Moti Dhar (retd.), Maharashtra
14 Malini Parthasarthy: The Hindu, Tamil Nadu
15 Muhammad Yosuf Tarigami, MLA, Jammu and Kashmir
16 Mrinal Sen, Film Maker, West Bengal
17 Nandita Das: Activist and actor, New Delhi
18 Nirmala Deshpande: Eminent Gandhian, New Delhi
19.N. D. Pancholi, Advocate, New Delhi
20 Prabhas Joshi: Former Editor, New Delhi
21 Rajni Kothari:Political Scientist, New Delhi
22 Robin Bordoloi, MLA, Assam
23. Admiral L. Ramdas (Retd.) Former Naval Chief, Maharashtra
24 Sumit Chakravarty: Editor, Mainstream, New Delhi
25.Syeda Hameed: Writer.Former Member National Commission for Women, New Delhi
26.Zoya Hasan: Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
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Signatories from Pakistan
1. Malik Meraj Khalid, former prime minister of Pakistan, former rector,
International Islamic University, Islamabad
3. Malik Ghulam Mustafa Khar, former federal minister and former governor
and chief minister of Punjab
4. Sardar Mumtaz Bhutto, former federal minister, former governor and chief
minister Sindh
5. Fakhruddin G Ebrahim, former judge, Supreme Court of Pakistan, former
governor of Sindh
6. Ghinwa Bhutto, chairperson, Pakistan People's Party (Shaheed Bhutto)
7. Roedad Khan, former Secretary Interior, government of Pakistan
8. Air Marshal Zafar A Chowdhry, former chief of air staff
9. Lt. Gen Nasir Akhtar
10 Lt.Gen G. S. Butt
11 Maj. General Wajahat Hussain, former ambassador
12 Maj. General Shabbir Hussain Shah
13 Maj. General Jamshed Malik
14 Air Marshal Khurshid Anwar Mirza
15 Brigadier Rao Abid Hamid, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
16 . Afrasiab Khattak, chairman, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
17 Asma Jahangir, president emeritus, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
18 Justice (R) Mian Dilawar Mahmood, judge, Lahore High Court
19 I. A. Rehman, Director, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan
20 Sairah Irshad Khan, editor, Newsline, Karachi
21 F.S.Aijazuddin, scholar, author, former professor, Lahore University of
Management Sciences
22 Professor Pervez Hoodbhoy, University of Islamabad
23 Professor A. H. Nayyar, University of Islamabad
24 Professor Mehdi Hasan
25 Prem K. Shahani, scholar, political analyst, former adviser, governments
of Pakistan and Sindh
26 Dr Mubashir Hasan, former finance minister of Pakistan
Kuldip Nayar, Syeda Hameed,
33 Lodi Estate New Delhi
Telephone: 6821053, 9810478560
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