Veteran Indian journalist Kuldip Nayar on Thursday suggested to start work on Integrated Indus Basin system under which all the six rivers would be jointly used by Pakistan and India. He called for respecting the Indus Basin Treaty, which was signed between Pakistan and India.
Addressing a seminar on Pakistan -India Relations at Lahore University of Management Sciences, Nayar said that Pakistan and India should work on the suggestion, as this would bring prosperity to the region. The seminar was attended by Pro-Chancellor LUMS Syed Babar Ali, former foreign minister Sartaj Aziz, former foreign secretaries Shamshad Ahmed Khan and Sheryar Ahmed Khan, students, faculty members and members of the civil society.
Nayar while recalling his meeting with former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto two or three months before her assassination said that she had told him that this time when she would return home she would work for the border-free sub continent.
Regarding Kashmir issue he said that they should work for establishing soft borders. "As a first step towards this, autonomy should be given to the Kashmir on both sides in which only foreign affairs and defence should retained by India and Pakistan. There should be no restrictions on trade between the two sides," he proposed.
Nayar said that the main hurdle was the mistrust between the two countries. He said that both countries should fight for eradication of illiteracy and poverty.
Pro-Chancellor LUMS Syed Babar Ali emphasised on the need of closed educational ties between the two countries and the students of both the countries should study in each other countries. Foreign secretary Sheheryar Khan suggested that India should give visas to 10, 000 Pakistanis for watching semi final of the cricket world cup in Mohali. He said that this would be a positive gesture from big brother.