Indo-Pak Peace too important to be left entirely to govts: Speakers

Speakers from India and Pakistan on Tuesday called for greater people-to-people contact and enhancing the business ties, saying peace was too important an issue to be left entirely to the governments to handle.

Speakers from India and Pakistan on Tuesday called for greater people-to-people contact and enhancing the business ties, saying peace was too important an issue to be left entirely to the governments to handle.

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"Peace after all is too important an issue to be left entirely to governments. The point I am seeking to make is if the time comes when the business ties between the two countries become so strong that it acts as a check against governments initiating hostile actions," Times of India Group Managing Director Vineet Jain said in New Delhi.

Jain was speaking at a function Aman Ki Asha, a campaign launched by Times of India and Pakistan daily Jung for building public opinion to build peace between the two neighbouring countries.

"We believe it is vital to engage civil society in our movement because we draw our hope from the goodwill among the ordinary people for each other," he said at a function, oranised by industry chamber CII.

CII President Hari S Bhartia said there are immense opportunities for promotion of Indo-Pak economic co-operation.

"There is an urgent need to focus on trade, investment and business collaboration. I would say let's work together in identifying business partners and create an environment to increase our trade which is at the level of $2.2 billion to $10 billion by 2015," he said.

Jang group Managing Director Shahrukh Hasan said the most important stakeholders--the people of the two countries--and the most powerful force--the will of these people--needs to be galvanised.

"The focus of this function is on economy...By promoting peace, people-to-people contact and economic ties between our corporate sector we can collaborate in creating hope and prosperity," he said.