Beaconhouse National University (BNU), Lahore and Institute of Regional Studies, Islamabad (IRS) organised a round-table talk on “Prospects of Peace in South Asia” led by former Pakistan’s foreign minister Sardar Aseff Ahmad Ali, on Friday at BNU’s City Campus.
Participants included BNU Vice Chancellor Sartaj Aziz, School of Media and Mass Communication Dean Dr Mehdi Hassan, Institute of Regional Studies President Ashraf Azeem, who was also the moderator, SAFMA Director Khaled Ahmad, SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Iftikhar Ali Malik, senior journalist Hussain Naqi, Major Genearl (r) Rahat Latif, Human Rights Comission of Pakistan’s Zaman Khan, BNU School of Media and Mass Communication Department’s Professors Asghar Nadeem Syed, Wajahat Masood and Yasmeen Aftab, Lahore School of Economics Prof Sajjad Naseer and others.
The participants discussed traditional mindsets of people in South Asia, especially in Pakistan and India, while talking about the role of the media in promoting the existing mindset. Former foreign minister Aseff Ahmad Ali said there was no real freedom of expression in Pakistan, and there were no signs of impending change in policies. He said, “Pakistan’s national policy runs on national honour and not on national interests.” He said Pakistan’s stance on Kashmir should be to campaign for the rights of Kashmiris, irrespective of their religion.
BNU Vice Chancellor Sartaj Aziz said continuous military rule and biases for each other were impediments in Pakistan having an effective foreign policy. He said, “The 21st century is the age of dominance of South Asia.” He emphasised upon the importance of SAARC and the need to further empower it.
The School of Media and Mass Communication dean said, “Peace between India and Pakistan is not possible unless the religious extremism is countered. There is a need to change the mindset of the fundamentalists.”
SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Iftikhar Ali Malik made several recommendations on how the private-sector and the business community could play an instrumental role in the economic progress of the region.
A number of students of Beaconhouse National University’s Media and Mass Communication department also attended the session and asked several questions from the panel.
