Independence day: SAFMA peace delegation heads to India today

A poetry recital and vigil at the Wagha border crossing on the night between August 14 and 15 planned.

LAHORE:

The South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA) has arranged exchange visits of peace delegations from Pakistan and India for August 14 and 15, the independence days of the two countries, said a Safma press release.

“We have been celebrating the Independence Days of both countries for several years in collaboration with Hind Pak Dosti Manch,” Safma Secretary General Alam told the Pakistani delegates on Sunday. The exchange visits aim at promoting better neighbourly relations, he said.

A 33-member delegation of journalists, artists and politicians led by Alam will leave Lahore for Amritsar on Monday to take part in a seminar and candle vigil. Meanwhile, a Safma India team of parliamentarians, businessmen and journalists will arrive here on the same day for a seminar, titled ‘In Pursuit of the Shared Destiny of the Subcontinent’, a poetry recital and the vigil at the Wagha border crossing on the night between August 14 and 15. The vigil is in memory of the people who died while fighting for independence from British rule.

Alam urged the governments of both countries to continue talks and relax the visa regime. “Improved relations between both countries could boost growth in the region and solve common problems such as energy crises and poverty,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13^th, 2012.