Trade winds for peace: In the air, a hope song

This article was originally published in The News and The Times of India last week Trade winds for peace By Beena Sarwar “Trade for peace” is the new catchphrase defining the emerging relationship between India and Pakistan – a relationship historically so troubled that, when not actually at war, they have been engaged in a [...]

India-Pakistan prisoners – fishermen, POWs, and more

Below, my article on the India-Pakistan prisoners issue published in Aman ki Asha on Jan 11, 2012, followed by a correction from Sen. Iqbal Haider and further clarification from B.M. Kutty. Also please do read Shivam Vij’s thought-provoking and thorough report ‘Why is Gopal Das free and not Dr Chishty?‘, published in Aman ki Asha, and Anahita Mukherji’s report [...]

Amna Chishty’s appeal to Governor Rajasthan re Dr Chishty

June 23, 2011 To, Honorable Sh. Shivraj Patil Governor of Rajasthan Raj Bhawan, Civil Lines, Jaipur, India Subject: Case of Pakistani Prisoner Dr. Syed Mohammed Khaleel Chishty This is regarding the mercy petition of my father Dr. Chishty who is presently in Ajmer prison hospital.

Rajasthan Home Secretary, PUCL, join hands for Dr Chishty

Report compiled from information sent by Kavita Srivastava, General Secretary PUCL, to Dr Chishty’s family and those engaged in working for his release.

Aman ki Asha and a daughter’s appeal

In humanity’s name: Aman ki Asha has been campaigning for clemency towards cross-border prisoners – young boys who stray across by mistake or in search of ‘Bollywood’, fishermen who cross the maritime border, families who have committed minor transgressions, long-term prisoners incarcerated for years on either side, until their story is taken up by human rights activists and [...]

Dr Chishty incarceration: details from his daughter Amna Chishty

16th April 2011 Details of my father’s case: Before I go into his case a brief background of my father: He is almost 80 years old. He received his PhD from University of Edinburgh, Scotland in 1968 in Public Health Virology. He had an illustrious career as a professor and head of department of virology [...]

Indian Supreme Court judges appeal to Pakistan for prisoner’s release, quote Faiz, Shakespeare

March 14, 2011, New Delhi: “The quality of mercy is not strained” and  ”Qafas udaas hai yaaron” – Indian Supreme Court judges quote Shakespeare and Faiz in appealing to the Pakistani authorities to release an Indian prisoner detained for 27 years, applaud “humanitarian spirit on both sides”. Judgement below (thank you Jatin Desai for sending the [...]

Move on please, decisively

Those who critique the push for peace as an obsession of the ‘liberal elite’ and the ‘Punjabi lobby’ ignore sentiments at the grassroots level: while aware of the problems, people on both sides are keen to live as neighbours in peace, like Mumtaz, a young Pushtun mother distracted by a six-year old and a suckling toddler, whose husband is a daily-wage-earner. “I don’t understand everything they are saying, but I do understand that they want peace between India and Pakistan,” she replied. “We should live in peace with our neighbours. Maybe then our lot will improve. We all want that.”

PAKISTAN/INDIA: Citizens Push for Peace

The months following last year’s Mumbai terror attacks have seen a renewed sense of urgency among peace activists in Pakistan and India. Citizens are pushing their governments to resume the composite dialogue process between the two nuclear-rival nations.