• Press Release February, 2005
• 28th December 2004.
• 3rd September 2004.
• 25th November 2003.
• 17th November, 2003.
• 24th October 2003.
• 23rd October 2003.
• 21st July 2003.
• 25th March 2003.
• 23rd January 2003.
• 16th January 2003.
• 2nd January 2003.
• 8th August 2002.
• 16th July 2002.
• 11th June, 2002.
• Joint Public Statement 7th June 2002.
• 23rd May 2002.
• 28th February 2002.
• 31st January 2002.
• 1st January 2002.
• 29th December 2001.
• 18th October 2001.
• 17th September 2001.
• Joint Statement 7th August 2001.
• 27th March 2000.
• Joint Statement by Forum.
• 19th April 1999.

Press statement 24-10-2003

The Pakistan India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy sincerely welcomes the government of India’s proposals aimed at normalising relations between India and Pakistan and in particular the relaxation of the restrictive visa regime and the restoration of air, road and rail links which will facilitate people-to-people contacts and ease the hardships suffered by the peoples of the two countries. .

The far reaching initiatives include a new bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, a ferry between Mumbai and Karachi, the restoration of Khokhrapar – Munabao link by rail or road, free (by-foot) crossing of the Wagah border by senior citizens, resumption of sporting contacts, a ‘hotline between the two coast guards, non-arrest of fishermen at sea, etc. In addition there was willingness to restart the ‘Samjhauta Express’ and to increase the capacity of the Delhi-Lahore Bus service.

PIPFPD hopes that the government of Pakistan will respond positively to these proposals and that the two neighbours can begin the long overdue process of moving towards normalising relations.

While welcoming these fresh proposals, PIPFPD would like to emphasise that peace and cooperative relations between the two countries require that both governments sincerely engage to settle the Kashmir dispute keeping in mind the wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir as reiterated in the several declarations of the Forum since 1994. The Kashmir dispute has held hostage peace in the subcontinent and has resulted in the militarization and nuclearisation of the region and without a substantive political dialogue that addresses the Kashmir dispute no sustainable peace can be built.

Tapan Kumar Bose Ashok Mitra

General Secretary Chairperson