'Let's decide that we will not buy bullets, will buy books. We will not buy the guns, will buy the medicine for the poor people,' Aqeedat wrote in her two-page letter. PHOTO: AFP
As the Bharatiya Janata Party soared to victory in Uttar Pradesh polls, an 11-year-old Pakistani girl wrote a heartfelt letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Congratulating him for his historic victory, Aqeedat Naveed wrote that the Indian premier should focus on "becoming a bridge of peace between the two nations."
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Naveed highlighted the need for peace between India and Paksitan and said Modi could help speed up the process.
"Once my father told me that winning of hearts is a marvellous job. Perhaps you have won the hearts of Indian people, therefore you won the election in UP. But I must tell you if you want to win more Indian and Pakistani hearts, you should take steps towards friendship and peace. Both countries need good relations. Let's make a peace bridge between India and Pakistan. Let's decide that we will not buy bullets, will buy books. We will not buy the guns, will buy the medicine for the poor people," Aqeedat wrote in the two-page letter.
Aqeedat, the daughter of an assistant professor in National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore, has previously written to several Indian leaders including Bihar Chief Minsiter Nitish Kumar and External Affairs, Minister Sushma Swaraj, on a variety of subjects.
Aqeedat and her 14-year-old brother Moarikh also wrote a letter to Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa congratulating him on Pakistan's anti-terror operation Radd-ul-Fasaad.
Aqeedat studies in grade five at Cathedral School, Lahore while Moarrikh is in grade eighth in the same school.
Peace letter writing was Moarrikh’s idea. Speaking to The Hindustan Times he said, “I took this idea from my syllabus and started writing letters for peace." His sister then started following him.
Their father has proudly claimed that they have received greeting cards from Modi and 2016 Nobel Peace Prize Winner Juan Manuel Santos in the past.
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The siblings said they want to travel to India as tourists without any hindrance. Aqeedat hopes to one day see Taj Mahal and Delhi, and says she thinks many children from India may be wanting to visit Lahore.
The story originally appeared in The Hindustan Times
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