Lahore – The inauguration of National Campaign for Peace was held yesterday by two non-government organisations; South Asian Partnership Pakistan (SAP-PK) and Oxfam Novib, at Ali Institute of Education, Lahore. Federal Minister for Human Rights said international cooperation was required to achieve peace.
“The real power rests not with the elected representatives but with the civil and military bureaucracy. Peace is not bureaucracy’s priority, as it has never experienced the sufferings caused by absence of peace.” he said. Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Secretary General IA Rehman, an analyst, Dr Ayesha Siddiqa and Dr Javed Iqbal from the Cholistan Development Council also spoke on the occasion. Speakers said that over 20 million illegal weapons were present in the country, whereas proliferation of illegal arms must be checked by an effective ‘de-weaponisation’ campaign. Rehman said,
“The state uses ruthless power to govern the people. The groups having more weapons have more political power and the peace cannot be achieved and maintained without collective efforts.”
