India stops 40 peace activists from entering Pakistan

Some 40 peace activists having valid visas were denied entry into Pakistan by Indian authorities at Wagah on Saturday. Thirty-two Indians and eight others from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Malaysia and Japan were not allowed by the Border Security Force to cross over to Pakistan on foot for want of an NoC from New Delhi, a spokesman for Pakistanis for Palestine, Amanullah Kariapper, said at a news conference at the Lahore Press Club. The activists were part of the Asian Gaza Solidarity Caravan, organised by the Asian People’s Solidarity for Palestine, a coalition of social movements, trade unions and civil society institutions of the region. Mr Kariapper said the activists were scheduled to visit Karachi and Quetta before leaving for Iran. “In fact, both the governments contributed to block the caravan, but we will continue and are optimistic that the Indian government will allow them to cross over here on Sunday.” Labour Party of Pakistan spokesperson Farooq Tariq said that more than two weeks ago, the Pakistani High Commission had assured Feroze Mithiborwala of the Asian People’s Solidarity for Palestine that the Indian members of the caravan would be granted visas. However, the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi rejected on Dec 1 visa applications of the Indian participants citing security reasons. After hectic lobbying, the Pakistani authorities gave them permission but only to come up to Lahore. The Indians stopped the visit through an instrument of control inherited from the British Raj. “This instrument is a piece of paper issued by the interior ministry that the government of both countries insist is a requirement for any group to cross over into the other country,” he said. He said that Adam Pal of Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign, National Trade Union Federation’s Niaz Khan and Muneebul Haq, who works for a television channel, would now form the caravan from Lahore and they would be joined by six activists from Karachi. Karamat Ali called for an overhaul of the visa regime between India and Pakistan. He said that a good number of Pakistani peace activists had gone to Wagha to welcome their counterparts from across the border. “The Indians staged a sit-in on their side while the Pakistanis also protested on their soil against colonial bureaucratic systems that control lives of citizens in both countries. “Both sides raised slogans in favour of Palestinian independence and against the aggressive Zionist policies of apartheid and occupation,” he said.