People in Zahedan welcoming Asian solidarity for Palestine caravan

Peace group to Gaza stopped at Wagah

Activists stage a dharna at the Wagah border point

Indian peace activists planning to take humanitarian aid to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip sat in dharna briefly at the Wagah border point with Pakistan. They later returned to Delhi as the government denied them permission to cross over on foot.

“Permission was not denied. They had valid passports and visas and were free to use the established means of transport to cross over into Pakistan. Going on foot is not one of the established means such as bus, train or plane,” said informed sources in the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) here.

‘No response’

Members of the “India lifeline to Gaza” claimed that the Ministry did not respond to their plea for permission to cross over even though it was sought a month ago. “We thought the Indian government has a stated policy of support to the Palestinian people. But such unresponsiveness makes us have serious doubts,'' said Sunil Kumar who sat in dharna with the others at Wagah.

The mission, first such from the country, is part of the Asian Peoples Solidarity for Palestine.

“Crossing over by foot is not the normal practice. Foreigners, diplomats and sometimes journalists can cross over on foot. For jathas and other groups, the norm is to take the established means like bus, train or flights,'' said the sources.

This group planned to travel through six nations on its way to Gaza. The caravan was flagged off from Rajghat on December 2 by senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh along with Mani Shanker Aiyer, MP, Planning Commission Member Syeda Hameed and National Advisory Council member Harsh Mander. The convoy was to travel through Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, and to enter Gaza on December 27.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article931949.ece

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