They urged the two governments to reach an effective long-term solution to all pending bilateral issues through dialogue and diplomatic means without resorting to any tactical military operations.
The calls to de-escalate and ease the tension between India and Pakistan are rising from all over the world. Besides, students, concerned citizens, anti-nuclear activists, universities, trade unions and peace workers across the globe, the regional networks and organisations from South Asia also requested India and Pakistan to maintain the status quo recently after the last week’s escalation of tensions led to a dangerous impasse between the two countries. They urged the countries “to adopt maximum restraint and cease all hostilities to ensure peace in South Asia.”
“The reasons for the present escalation are well known, and we believe that such instances would recur, without dealing with the underlying causes. Pakistan is unable or unwilling to exercise effective control over armed non-state actors present in its territory that engage in terrorist activities in Afghanistan and India particularly in the Kashmir region. India is unwilling and unable to find a political solution to the conflict in Kashmir and has increased repression and persecution of the Kashmiri civilian population particularly in the last five years,” they said in their statement.
“The Indian government’s alleged triumphalism with a view to garner votes in the forthcoming general election has led to serious escalation after the suicide terror attack that killed 49 Indian troops in Kashmir on 14 February. We welcome the Pakistan Government’s release of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, the captured Indian pilot. Resorting to limited or unlimited war between the two countries will not contribute to finding a long-term and sustainable solution for the Jammu and Kashmir issue. We strongly urge the two governments to reach an effective long-term solution to all pending bilateral issues through dialogue and diplomatic means without resorting to any tactical military operations,” they said.
The statement was signed by South Asians for Human Rights, Women’s Regional Network, Asian Network for Free Elections, Civil Society and Human Rights Network, Afghanistan, Odhikar, Bangladesh, Ain O Salish Kendra (ASK), Bangladesh, Community Self Reliance Centre ( CSRC), Nepal, Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Society ( JKCCS), India, South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM), Peoples Watch, India, Peoples Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR), Human Rights Alert, Manipur, India, Mahila Savangeen Utkarsha Mandal (MASUM), Society for the Protection of the Rights of the Child (SPARK), National Commission for Peace and Justice ( NCJP), Pakistan and Bytes for all, Pakistan.
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