LAHORE: The South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) organized a seminar titled " Make Peace: New Normal " on Thursday to commemorate Independence Day at the SAFMA Auditorium.
Noted journalist and human rights activist Hussain Naqi, President of the Haqooq Khalq Party and general secretary of the Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee Farooq Tariq, Executive Director South Asia Partnership Muhammad Tehseen expressed their views on this occasion.
SAFMA Secretary General Imtiaz Alam stressed the importance of restoring diplomatic relations between Pakistan and India, highlighting that peace between the two nations will bring prosperity to the region.
Marking Pakistan's Independence Day, South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) Secretary General Imtiaz Alam issued a stark warning and a passionate plea for peace to the leadership of Pakistan and India, emphasizing the critical need to move beyond recent hostilities.
Alam stated that Pakistan and India must immediately cease all hostile rhetoric and provocative actions, replacing threats with tangible gestures of de-escalation. He stressed that the leaders of both nuclear-armed nations have an urgent responsibility to resume comprehensive, uninterrupted, and unconditional dialogue addressing all disputes between them solely through peaceful diplomatic means.
Highlighting the extreme danger posed by the absence of robust safeguards, Alam declared that without delay, both countries should negotiate and implement verifiable nuclear and missile risk reduction measures. He specified that these essential steps should include reliable hotlines, advance notification protocols for missile tests, and sustained confidence-building dialogues specifically designed to prevent accidental or unauthorized escalation.
Furthermore, Alam emphasized that both nations must fundamentally understand that true strength lies in development, not destruction. He called for lifting barriers to trade, actively facilitating people-to-people contact, and fostering collaboration on shared existential challenges like climate change, water security, and poverty alleviation. Alam concluded this point by asserting that unleashing the combined economic potential of South Asia is the only viable path to lifting millions out of deprivation.
"The colossal resources consumed by perpetual military readiness represent a theft from our people," Alam stated, underscoring the immense opportunity cost of the enduring conflict. "Choosing peace is not weakness; it is the only strategy that offers prosperity and security for the hundreds of millions suffering from poverty in both nations."
Renowned academician Dr. Waseem emphasized the need to reduce tension between Pakistan and India, advocating for increased people-to-people contact to foster peace and prosperity in the subcontinent.
He noted that Indian policies have historically been driven by religion and anti-Pakistan sentiments, while Pakistani policies have been anti-India.
In a symbolic gesture, SAFMA organized a candle vigil at the Wagah border crossing on Thursday night, paying tribute to those who sacrificed their lives fighting for independence from British rule and promoting regional peace.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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