Pakistan peace mission travels to India

ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani peace mission on Wednesday left for India to meet government representatives and civil society activists and push for better relations between the two countries in the wake of tensions generated by the Mumbai terror attacks.

The delegation, which includes Human Rights Commission of Pakistan chairperson Asma Jahangir, rights activist I A Rehman and some Senators, crossed over to India from the Wagah land border.

During its stay in India, the peace mission will push efforts to defuse tensions between the two countries and to seek solutions to all issues through dialogue.

Jahangir, who is the coordinator of the peace mission, said the delegation will meet representatives of Indian civil society, politicians, lawyers and journalists to seek diplomatic solutions to all issues.

"We need to condemn wholeheartedly what happened in Mumbai. We are all against any act of violence. But at the same time, we think it is absolutely absurd that you should perpetuate more violence like war to get over violence," she told reporters shortly before crossing over to India.

During a meeting with members of the peace mission yesterday, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi called for the resumption of the peace process and constructive bilateral engagement with India to allay the concerns of both countries and to jointly tackle terrorism.