‘Looking forward to enhanced contacts across the border’ Rising Kashmir NewsSrinagar: The 12-member delegation of journalists from Kashmir Thursday returned from its week-long visit to Pakistan and Pakistan Administered Kashmir (PaK). The members of the delegation hoped the people to people contacts on both sides would enhance better understanding on various issues confronting the people on both sides.
Headed by senior journalist Dr Shujaat Bukhari, the other members included Iftikhar Gillani (DNA Bureau Chief Delhi), Mehmood ur Rashid (Greater Kashmir), Peerzada Ashiq (Hindustan Times), Riyaz Malik (Kashmir Uzma), Hakim Irfan (Economic Times), Shahana Bashir (Press TV), Faisul Yaseen (Rising Kashmir), Zeenat Zeeshan Fazil (Kashmir Images), Raashid Maqbool (Buland Kashmir), Tariq Ali Mir (Belag Sahafat) and Riffat Mohiuddin (Tribune).
During their visit to Islamabad, Lahore and Muzaffarbad the journalists attended a two-day conference with the journalists from other side of Kashmir in which discussions were held to build more cross LOC linkages in media.
The two sides issued a joint statement that envisages the steps to be taken to build a sustained mechanism for content sharing to counter the propaganda by vested interests. “Giving accurate information to the people of both sides is important to create an atmosphere of understanding” said a participant. The joint statement recommends 12 points to improve the contact of media persons through social media.
“We would like to work on apolitical issues so that it does not irritate any side” said Ejaz Abbasi President Kashmir Journalists Forum Islamabad.
In the beginning it was decided to put a mechanism in place for content sharing.
“I think the recommendations are practical and can be implemented without any hurdle. Both governments should appreciate this step of people to people contact,” said senior journalist Ershad Mehmud, whose organization Centre for Peace, Development and Reforms (CPDR) organized the visit in collaboration with Kashmir Institute of International Relations and Kashmir Initiative Group (KIG). Ershad is Executive Director of CPDR.
The delegation was warmly received in all the places and the journalist bodies’ hosted receptions in their honour. In some of the meetings the participants turned emotional on hearing stories of separated families. The members also had meetings with political leaders and civil society members. “For all of us it was a great learning as we could see for ourselves what was happening in Pakistan. There are many stereotypes working on both sides and such visits demolish them. I believe such visits should become a routine. We are very happy about our visit,” said Peerzada Ashiq. For Iftikhar Gilani the visit was “a memorable trip down the lanes of history in search of my civilization, my society and also my future.”
“It was a productive visit and in the backdrop of increasing hostilities between India and Pakistan it turned out to be more significant,” said leader of the delegation Shujaat Bukhari. He said media has a significant role to play in enhancing the understanding on both sides. He hoped that a similar visit of journalists from PaK to Jammu and Kashmir should take place soon.
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