Resolution
Recommendations on Kashmir
- We the members of Pakistan-India Peoples Forum
for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD) are deeply concerned at and condemn
the atrocities committed in Kashmir by the Indian security forces against women,
including rape and molestation in a systematic way, and on un-armed
civilians through the use of arrest, detention, and torture. We similarly
condemn violations by sections of the militants.
§
We demand that the Government
of India pull back its troops from the civilian areas and that the Pakistan
Government should make efforts to stop armed activities of militants
in order to put an end to military and armed actions which have led
to violence and violations of human rights. This must be done to make
third party mediation unnecessary.
§
We
also ask the governments of India and Pakistan to pull back their troops immediately from Siachen since the conflict there has caused loss of human
lives and proved to be a burden on the exchequers of the two countries
which runs into thousands of millions of rupees every year. Finally
we urge the two Governments to finalise agreement
on Tulbul Navigation and Wullar Barrage
issue in accordance with the Indus Water Treaty.
Resolution/ Recommendations on demilitarization
and peace
- We, the members of PIPFPD, reaffirm our commitment
to a nuclear-weapon-free world, including South Asia. We unequivocally denounce the nuclear explosions
by Indian and Pakistan and the jingoism that followed, and express
our solidarity with the anti-nuclear movements.
- We believe that nuclear weapons enhance neither
the security nor the power or the prestige of countries in a globalizing
world. The Forum calls upon both the governments to make a dignified
exit from the nuclear arms and missile race, adhere to the provisions
of the CTBT, desist from deploying the weapons already in their respective
arsenals, and divert their scarce resources from nuclearization to programmes
for improving the lot of their own people who are victims of grinding
poverty, ill health and illiteracy. Successful implementation of these
programmes alone can ensure both India and Pakistan national security and global recognition as
major powers. We reaffirm the following resolutions adopted in the
previous conventions:
a.
We urge the governments
of India and Pakistan to work for mutual reduction of war-waging capabilities
by 25% over a period of three years, simultaneously curtailing military
spending.
b.
We appeal to the governments
of India and Pakistan to agree to non-use of military capabilities against
each other, to stop cross border clashes, to prevent cross border support
for insurgencies and proxy wars, to demilitarize Siachin, to pull-back heavy weapons to mutually accepted
areas, to open military exercises to observers from the other country,
to ensure greater transparency in the defence
budgets, to strongly support and work together to promote all international
efforts to achieve a nuclear-weapons-free world; not to use or threaten
to use nuclear weapons against each other under any circumstances.
c.
The Forum expresses deep
concern over increasing internal militarisation
of the two nations, and the use of armed force by the state against
its own people as well as on various ethnic and religious groups to
resolve disputes.
d.
In pursuance of the Forums
commitment to the outlawing of the use of force in the settlement of
any bilateral dispute, the Forum urges the governments of India and Pakistan to sign a mutual peace treaty.
e.
The Forum recognizes the
great danger that the existing nuclear weapons pose for the security
of the peoples of the two countries. We express our deep concern over
the possibilities of an outbreak of nuclear war between the two countries
as a result of accident, miscalculation or mis-perception.
India and Pakistan must therefore immediately agree to enter into
bilateral treaties to avoid an accidental nuclear war between the two
countries.
f.
The Forum condemns the
Nuclear Club for its double standards, and demands that the members
of the Club work towards genuine and total nuclear disarmament across
the globe.
Resolution / Recommendations on Governance
- PIPFPD resolves that the peoples
right to information should be scrupulously respected and constitutionally
protected except where information is withheld in public interest
and a competent court upholds such withholding. Right to information
acts should be passed without further delay.
§
All decisions of Government
at every level be transparent and this transparency be ensured by an
act of parliament. All expenditures including defense be placed before
parliament in detail.
§
We deprecate any attempt
of governments to introduce religion in political, administrative or
any other matters of public policy.
§
Due to the non-performance
of political parties the people are becoming increasingly disillusioned
with them. To regain public confidence, internal democracy within the
political parties must be ensured. Legislatures should genuinely reflect
the wishes and opinions of the people. Electoral processes be made completely free and fair, and separate electorates,
wherever they exist, should be abolished.
§
The Forum notes with great
concern that corruption is rampant at all levels of government, including
administration and corporations, and is corroding the system of justice.
No relief is available to the people. Fool-proof machinery should therefore
be evolved to eradicate the menace of corruption.
§
All holders of public
offices including legislatures, should be required
by law to declare their assets at the time of assuming office, and annually
thereafter. These statements of assets must be open for scrutiny by
any citizen, and independent, quasi-judicial commissions should be set
up to examine them. Bodies of vigilant citizens and NGOs should take
upon themselves the duty of ensuring effectiveness of the process. They
may approach the courts of law, too.
§
Decentralization and devolution
of political and economic power relating to administration and development
down to the grassroots level is extremely essential to good governance.
Wherever such a system does not exist, it should be made part of the
constitution. Where it exists, it should be strengthened and made free
of bureaucratic interference.
§
Genuine autonomy in internal
administration and development activities must be guaranteed to all
states and provinces. Economic viability for all states/provinces should
be guaranteed and the spirit of federation allowed to
prevail in all centre-state relations. Regional economic imbalances
should be corrected.
§
Representation be given
to women and minorities at all levels of political parties, in legislatures
and other organs of government and it should be done in direct proportion
to their share of the population. Governments have to honour
their commitment to implement the provisions of CEDAW and CRC.
- Resolution/Recommendations on Intolerance
We
the members of the Forum strongly condemn all acts of intolerance
and discrimination against women, and particularly the violent punishments"
meted out to women in the "sacred name of religion" by the
self-styled custodians of religion.
§
We call upon our respective
Governments to repeal all legislation that discriminates against women,
and to promote an atmosphere conducive to the attainment of women’s
rights to equality, development and peace.
§
We call upon our respective
Governments to ensure the freedom of expression and to stop the increasing
incidents of violent suppression of any form of dissent.
§
We believe that there
is need for space outside the religious discourse, where individual,
rational, objective, scientific thought and the spirit of inquiry can
flourish.
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