Indo-Pak talks spur hopes of peace among Samjhauta Express passengers
February 8th, 2010 - 7:59 pm ICT by ANIBy Ravinder Singh Robin
Attari, Feb. 8 (ANI): The report that representatives of India and Pakistan may soon engage in talks has been welcomed by many in India and Pakistan.
The hope of an improved relationship between the two neighbours can be noticed on the face of passengers of Samjhauta Express, the only train which travels between the two countries.
Passengers arriving in India through Samjhauta Express train from Pakistan on Monday, said: “Improvement in cordial relation is the only way which would let the growth of the India and Pakistan in all sectors.”
Samjhauta Express runs between the two countries on Monday and Thursday on weekly basis. This train service is an attempt to enable people living on both sides of the border of India and Pakistan to get connected, as they have been separated by over six decades of 1947-Partition.
Many passengers feel the governments should spend money on public welfare instead of military equipments meant for war.
Muhammad Riyaz Akhtar, a passenger from Karachi, said: “The decision for resumption of talks between India and Pakistan was much-awaited. The governments’ attention should be diverted from spending money on military equipment to the welfare for the common people of both countries.”
Samjhauta Express witnessed a decline of 25 per cent in its number of passengers traveling between India and Pakistan, as both countries drastically reduced the number of visas to each other’s citizens.
Some of the passengers believe it is the ordinary people who suffer at the end of every incident or argument between the two countries.
Afta Begum, another passenger from Pakistan, said: “At the end of the day the actual sufferers are the divided families who always made payers for the peace in the region.
Local traders like Hussain Abid of Karachi feel improved business relations can give a new meaning to the closeness of people of both the countries, as they will also influence relations in other areas too.
“Basically the relations between the two neighbour countries could only be improved when both encourage more flow of trade with each other. More trade would generate employment and economic growth that would help to eradicate poverty,” said Abid. (ANI)
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Tags: abid, attari, business relations, closeness, common people, express train, hopes of peace, india and pakistan, local traders, military equipment, muhammad, neighbours, ordinary people, public welfare, resumption, riyaz, samjhauta express, spending money, train service, visas
