SAFMA holds candlelight vigil for LoC ceasefire

LAHORE: As in the past South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) organized a candle vigil on both sides of the Wahga/Attari border to pay tributes to the martyrs of national liberation and this time also to protest the casualties being caused by continuing violation of the Ceasefire Agreement along the Line of Control (LoC) and working boundary.
It was a unique occasion when the peace activists and journalists exchanged facilitations and expressed goodwill across the heavily guarded border against the backdrop of cross-border shelling and vowed to promote peace and cooperation in the subcontinent.
They raised slogans against war and enmity and for peace and friendship among the peoples. Both sides of peace activists exchanged good wishes, candles and flowers for peace and congratulated each other for the independence of their respective countries from the yoke of colonialism.
SAFMA candle vigil in Lahore started from its Secretariat and ended at Wagha post where hundreds of participants chanted slogan against increasing casualties of people due to violations of ceasefire agreement.
They called upon the two governments to start an uninterruptible and result-oriented dialogue while silencing the guns on both sides.
The Pakistani participants on Wagha side of the border waved Pakistani flags, lighted the candles to pay their tributes to the martyrs and called for amity among the people of two neighboring countries. They demanded to remove obstructions in the way people to people contacts and trade across Wagha/Atari border posts.
Secretary General SAFMA Mr. Imtiaz Alam expressed grief over killings of innocent people on both sides of the LoC. He particularly lamented the violation of ceasefire on the Independence Day which resulted in the death of a woman.
Mr. Alam called upon the national security advisers of both countries to make their upcoming meeting fruitful instead of making it a venue of blame game. He said there is no option other than a peaceful resolution of disputes through negotiations. Given the threat of terrorism across the region, SAFMA Secretary General called upon the countries of the region to collaborate in fighting out this menace. On the other side of the border, the peace activists from Pak-Bharat Dosti Manch and SAFMA India raised slogans of friendship with the people of Pakistan. Mr. Satnam Singh Manak, Joint Secretary SAFMA India emphasized the need to observe ceasefire on borders since innocent people become victim of the uncalled for violations. He appealed to prime ministers of India and Pakistan to show political will to resolve the gridlock and move forward for mutually beneficial cooperation.
After a demonstration of over an hour, the peace activists on both sides of the border dispersed with the hope that ceasefire will be observed on the borders and the innocent people on both sides will be spared of the agony due to perpetual border skirmishes.