Indian government stops peace activists from visiting Pakistan

Staff Report
LAHORE: The Indian government, on the influence of the US administration, has halted 41 peace activists and denied them permission to visit Pakistan for joining the Asian People’s Solidarity for Palestine Caravan, this was disclosed by the Pakistanis for Palestine (PoP) on Saturday.

PoP held an urgent press conference at the Lahore Press Club and condemned the act of the Indian government demanding a review in the visa policies of both the neighbouring countries, India and Pakistan for each other.

Activists of some of the prominent civil society organisations, political parties, trade and students’ unions, the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER), the South Asia Partnership, SAFMA, the Labour Party Pakistan, the Labour Federation and National Students Federation were also present in the press conference.

PILER’s director Karamat and Farooq Tariq of LPP said influence of the US and Israel had increased in the South Asian region and they had pressurised the Indian government not to issue visa to 32 Indians and restrict nine peace activists from Australia, Japan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Malaysia to become a part of Peace Caravan in Pakistan.
Karamat said Pakistanis and Indians had set some unique example as they were issuing visa of some specific cities which was a discriminatory and uncivilised act of both the countries. He demanded governments of India and Pakistan that they should relax visa rules for each other following the wishes of their people who wanted to meet each other without any hindrance.

Condemning the Indian government’s act of halting the peace activists who were campaigning against Israel’s aggressive moves towards Palestinians, Karamat and Farooq said although the Indian government had not given visas to 41 peace activists, the caravan would not stop and set off on its journey from Pakistan to Iran, Turkey, Syria and Lebanon to Gaza where they would show solidarity with the deprived nation.

Farooq said the governments as well as bureaucracy of Pakistan and India was working against the people of Gaza under the US and Israel pressure.
He said the Palestinians, especially the people in Gaza, have been under siege by the Israeli forces for a long time. All human rights activists of the world would continue their struggle to end the siege of Gaza, he added.

A Palestine national and peace activist Muhammad Khalid, while addressing the press conference, stated that the US administration had influenced the Indian government to stop the caravan against the Israeli aggression.

Replying to a question about the Palestine government of Mehmood Abbas, he showed dissatisfaction with him, said the government was collaborating with the White House.

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010%5C12%5C05%5Cstory_5-12-2010_pg13_2