7th Joint Convention held at Delhi: February 25-28, 2005

Declaration of the Seventh Joint Convention of the Pakistan India People's Forum for Peace and Democracy We, the delegates at the Seventh Joint Convention of the Pakistan India People's Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD), held in New Delhi on Feb 25-28, 2005, express our condolences for the victims of the tsunami disaster, and our solidarity and support to the survivors. The Forum expresses its concern for those who are struggling to cope with the recent floods, snowstorms and avalanches that have also exposed the unpreparedness of the state machinery. After deliberating on several issues relating to peace between our two countries, and building upon the previous PIPFPD Joint Conventions, we hereby adopt the following declaration at the final plenary session of this Joint Convention. The Forum decided to appoint a joint committee to deliberate the question of establishing peace and goodwill between the peoples (as distinct from the elite) of India and Pakistan on a permanent basis. The committee should suggest how the peoples of India and Pakistan should jointly and separately mobilize themselves to bring about the conditions of permanent peace, participatory democracy and united struggle against neo-imperialist forces. The committee should also formulate a long term plan of action for the Forum to realize its objectives. PIPFPD resolves to seriously address the issue of gender equality and gender injustice against women in the substance and the process of the working of the Forum and to exhort our governments to do the same. The Forum calls upon the two governments to repeal all laws that are discriminatory against women. We welcome the ongoing dialogue process between India and Pakistan, particularly the breakthrough that has been achieved in terms of restoring the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road-link. We hope that this will be the first step in restoring other cross-border links. As part of the Forum's commitment to facilitate the meetings of Kashmiris from either side of the Line of Control, we particularly welcome those who are attending the PIPFPD Convention for the first time. The expanding involvement of the youth in this Convention is particularly welcome. The following recommendations and measures were adopted at the various working groups. Kashmir

We reiterate our long-standing position that Kashmir is not merely a territorial dispute between India and Pakistan, but a matter of the lives and aspirations of the Kashmiri people. We urge recognition of the fact that there is a plurality of views on both sides of divided J & K as well as several approaches to the dispute -- ranging from independence, accession to Pakistan, to de jure recognition of the current status quo. We re-emphasise that the dispute is a political one and must be resolved politically. Therefore, we call on all parties, state and non-state, to abjure violence. We express our particular concern about the use of former militants in counter-insurgency operations by different state agencies. Given the diversity of opinion, it is all the more critical that people's voices be heard, their right of self-determination be recognised, and no solution imposed. In keeping with this spirit, the Forum reaffirms its position to not offer any solution as this is a right that belongs to the peoples of J&K. PIPFPD emphasises the right of peoples from both sides of the Line of Control to meet and demands that the two governments remove restrictions on the exercise of this right. The Forum draws urgent attention to the situation of 'missing' persons due to abductions by state agencies and urges the state to divulge the whereabouts of the 'disappeared'. PIPFPD notes with concern the propensity of the armed forces to disregard the directives of the judiciary, particularly in a situation where the armed forces mostly administer the state on both sides of the LOC. The Forum demands the repeal of special laws like the Armed Forces Special Powers Act that foster a culture of impunity. Despite the ceasefire that we welcome, official claims of normalcy are belied by the continuance of counter-insurgency operations that are causing enormous hardship to the peoples of J&K. The Forum reiterates its demand for withdrawal of armed forces and armed groups on both sides. PIPFPD condemns the systematic use of rape, sexual abuse, harassment, abduction and eviction of women by security forces (who justify it as a counter-insurgency measure), as well as similar acts by non-state groups. We draw attention to the economic plight of refugees and internally displaced families, a large number of whom comprise women-headed households. The Forum directs attention to the particular situation of the Kashmiri youth, who are deprived of educational opportunities and livelihood due to ongoing violence and mis-governance. The situation in J & K has resulted in grave health problems, particularly mental health risks for the people. We urge the government to create appropriate facilities to address this critical issue. The Forum calls for the inclusion of the Kashmiris in any discussion regarding the water disputes between India and Pakistan, since these waters originate in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, but it is the peoples of this region who benefit the least. The Forum urges attention to the situation in Gilgit and Baltistan that are experiencing the loss of state subject rights, and are also more vulnerable to state induced alterations in their demographic make up. Religious minorities

PIPFPD expresses concern over the deterioration and treatment of religious minorities in both Pakistan and India, aggravated by communal conflagrations where conflict in one country sparks off conflict in the other. The Forum demands that Hindus from Pakistan who migrate to India and Muslims from India who migrate to Pakistan along with their families be guaranteed dual nationality. Visa and movement restrictions on persons, particularly women, who have contracted cross-border marriages must be lifted. PIPFPD undertakes to work against the disruptive activities of those sections of NRIs and NRPs who are aiding communalist and extremist forces in their respective countries of origin. PIPFPD demands changes in legislation that discriminates against minorities. The Forum pledges to bring the marginalized sections of society into the movement for Indo-Pak amity as a means to voice their aspirations. The Forum calls upon both governments to effect changes in school texts so that minorities are not stereotyped, demonised or misrepresented. We urge the media on both sides to be sensitive and responsible when reporting on minority issues and not to exacerbate communal tensions. Peace and Reconciliation

PIPFPD undertakes to further the process of people-to-people exchanges of special interest groups. We reiterate our long-standing demand for a nuclear-free South Asia as an integral part of the global demand for nuclear disarmament, an incremental reduction of security and defence expenditure and diverting it to the social sector. We condemn the use of military force against civilian populations in internal conflicts in the two countries. The Forum undertakes to develop a peace curriculum and to actively lobby with government and educational institutions to introduce it. PIPFPD reiterates its principled stand calling for abolition of the visa regime and urges the two governments to institute as an interim measure visa-on-arrival. In the meantime, we again call upon both governments to abolish the requirement for police reporting and city-specific visas. We urge the Indian government to fulfil its promise to exempt senior citizens and other special categories, and urge the Pakistan government to implement similar measures. We reiterate our support for the opening of all links that facilitate people-to-people contacts, including the Karachi-Mumbai ferry service and the Khokrapar-Munabao border. However, we do caution the governments of the need to take into account the sensitivities of communities who feel demographically threatened. The Forum again calls upon the governments to lift the restrictions that exist on each other's media, periodicals and publications, including scientific material. Taking into account the growing seriousness of the issue of sharing of waters, exacerbated by the shrinking of the Siachen Glacier caused by the militarisation of the glacier, the Forum calls for the expeditious resolution of these issues that are a potential threat to peace. Adding to bilateral tensions and ill will is the continuing criminalisation of fisherfolk who stray across un-demarcated maritime borders. The two governments' recently announced policy regarding the speedy release of fisherfolk and their equipment is welcome but is not being implemented as is evident by recent arrests and incarcerations. Youth delegates

Youth delegates from India and Pakistan at an assembly held during the seventh joint convention of PIPFPD in Delhi resolved to constitute a youth forum under the umbrella of PIPFPD. The youth forum aims at mobilising the youth in the peace movement in both the countries. The following working groups were constituted to deliberate on issues concerning the youth:

a. Culture and religion b. Education and interactive research c. Gender d. Globalisation and its impact e. Media and sports

Globalisation

We reiterate the PIPFPD's position adopted in the Karachi Declaration of the Sixth Joint Convention:

We are convinced that the people of the world in general and South Asia in particular face new forms of imperialistic globalisation that is today

i) Increasingly aided and abetted by local interest and constituencies ii) Imposes an iniquitous system on the developing countries iii) Destroys the livelihood of common people iv) Undermines the political and economic independence of countries v) Directs violence against people with different political and social ideas, particularly Muslim people and vi) Terrorises entire countries in the name of fighting terrorism

We express our solidarity with the ongoing movements, of which we are a part, against the IMF, World Bank and WTO, as well as the agents of imperialist globalisation.

Click here to see Welcome Speech by the chairperson, Reception committee....
Click here to see Address by Dr. Mubashir Hasan....