Indo-Pak disputes threatening peace in South Asia: SAHR

NEW DELHI - Peace in South Asia is under threat by longstanding disputes between India and Pakistan, escalating violence in Afghanistan and Kashmir and post-war displacement in Sri Lanka, South Asians for Human Rights (SAHR) has said in a statement.

SAHR, which aims to promote peace, democracy and security in the region, held a three-day meeting in New Delhi, where the participants reiterated an urgent need for political engagement through dialogues between governments and concerned citizens, the Daily Times reported.

Expressing sympathy with the flood-affectees in Pakistan, the meeting called upon the governments of South Asian nations- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka- to set up regional systems for disaster management, dispute resolution and post conflict reconciliation.

The meeting urged India and Pakistan to resolve their disputes and end mutual hostility so that South Asia could move towards regional cooperation for management of natural resources, trade and investment and freedom of movement for people of the region.

The participants of the meeting, including senior journalists IA Rehman and Hina Jilani from Pakistan, Kuldip Nayar, Siddharth Vardarajan from India, Dr Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu and Dr Nimalka Fernando from Sri Lanka, Professor Rehman Sobhan, Dr Kamal Hossain, and Motiur Rehman from Bangladesh and Prashant Jha from Nepal, identified terrorism, religious extremism and sectarianism as major threats to peace, democratic development and security in the region. (ANI)