HYDERABAD: A team of Indian journalists visiting Pakistan has called upon media of the two countries to work for removing misgivings that have blighted relations since 1947.
The delegation visited the Hyderabad press club and the Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI) on Wednesday.
It also went for sightseeing to River Indus and visited Mukhi House, Hasrat Mohani Library at Holmstead Hall, Sindh Museum and office of the Sindhi Language Authority (SLA).
“We have a responsibility to disseminate correct information and we are committed to condemn wrongs as well,” said Om Prakash Tiwari, a member of the Indian delegation, while talking to journalists.
He said although communal disturbances in India attracted media attention the world over, it was unfortunate that condemnation of the killings in their country did not get even token coverage in the outside world.
Mr Tiwari said it was wrong to label all Indians as anti-Pakistan, citing an example rom cricket..
“I have seen a five-year-old child paying for Pakistan`s victory against England in the 1992 World Cup.”
He said that few people knew about freedom fighters like Ashfaqullah Khan who was hanged during the independence movement along with Ram Prashad Bismal. “Ashfaqullah Khan`s statue has been built outside Faizabad district jail, but people don`t know him in Pakistan and India as we tend to avoid looking beyond Gandhi and Jinnah,” he said.
Jatin Desai, another member of the Indian team, said television and newspaper organisations of one country should post their reporters in the other and restrictions on reporters` visit outside the capital should be eased.
He said that regular contacts between journalists and people would clear misgivings and this was the fundamental point in normalisation of bilateral relations.
“We have resolved in the declaration adopted at Tuesday`s meeting in Karachi Press Club to avoid hate speech and language of war. Gone are the days when jingoism was popular as now it is era of films like Veer Zara,” he said.
Hyderabad Press Club president Jaffar Memon and senior journalists Ali Hassan and Lala Rehman Samoon also spoke on the occasion. HCCI:
Addressing a lunch in honour of the Indian delegation, HCCI president Goharullah said that bilateral trade could be promoted by businessmen of the two sides.
He said that the target of $6 billion bilateral trade was achievable in the next three years but visa relaxation should be ensured and trade through the Munabao-Khokhrapar route should be allowed.
Vinod Mahanta, a business reporter of a leading Indian magazine, said that India and Pakistan could form an unbeatable combination of market jointly. He said that India dealt with 80 per cent of trade in region.
“There is nothing to worry for Pakistani businessmen as far as the accord of most favoured nation (MFN) status to India by Islamabad is concerned,” he said.
He said that Pakistani and Indian companies could consider joint ventures. He said in 1991 Indian government permitted foreign investors to produce their products in that country and apprehensions were expressed by top enterprisers of India but foreign investment gave a boost to regional business.
Source: Dawn
Date:11/17/2011
