Lahore-based non-profit organisation urges UN chief to help improve Pakistan-India ties

Lahore, Nov 25 (PTI) A non-profit organisation based in Lahore on Tuesday wrote a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, seeking help to improve Pakistan-India relations so that millions of people of the two countries could visit each other.  In the letter, Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation's chief Imtiaz Rasheed Qureshi said the strained relations between Pakistan and India have led to severe consequences of prolonged visa restrictions on millions of ordinary citizens of both nations.

"Despite political differences, the peoples of Pakistan and India share historic, cultural, familial, and emotional bonds. Unfortunately, visa restrictions, particularly for family reunification, religious travel, medical emergencies, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people contact have caused immense suffering for divided families and vulnerable individuals," the letter said.

"We request the UN to help ease tensions between the two rival countries so that family, medical, religious, and cultural visas could be restored. Support a structured and continuous peace process between Pakistan and India," it added.

The citizens of both countries desire peace, dignity, and cooperation, not conflict, the letter read. It added that by easing visa restrictions and restoring human connections, a major step toward long-term regional stability can be achieved.  "We hope the United Nations will consider this humanitarian appeal with empathy, fairness, and a commitment to the principles of global peace and cooperation," the foundation said in the letter.  The ties between India and Pakistan are currently at their lowest ebb following the Pahalgam terror attack in April. India launched Operation Sindoor in May, under which the Indian military targeted terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. PTI ZH ZH