Shaheer Ahmed
Jo kabhi nahien hua zaroori nahien hai wo agay bhi nahien hoga. Who would have thought that 2022 would be the year of many firsts? Since, we have entered this year we’ve been hearing news that makes us wonder wow! Nothing better could come next but… life never seizes to amaze us. No one knows what future holds for them except the Almighty. Finally!!! The religious and diplomatic channels between Pakistan and India are getting revived, yeni kay sifarti taluqat behtar honay ki umeed hai. Isn’t this interesting?
Today, we came across a similar news which left us shocked. We are well aware of the Tom and Jerry relations that India-Pakistan share. We have never witnessed consistent peace between both the countries since independence. We have never witnessed free flow of people between India Pakistan. Lekin ab aisa nahien hoga. Abhinandan sahab kay liye bhi khushkhabri ab wo dubara Pakistan aa sktay hain through proper legitimate routes. Haina! Baat hai tau heraan kun.
So, it is time to talk about one of the many firsts of 2022, pehli baar karay ga paar PIA ka jahaaz India kay pahaar. Jee haan wo bhi kisi emergency landing ki waja se nahien balkay this journey would be set off to take Pakistani tourists to India. Since 1947, the visitors from both the countries had to visit each other’s country either on foot or by taking Samjhota Express. Akhir ye kesa samjhota hai? The Samjhota express operations have been paused since the Kashmir crisis of 2019.
This sounds tiring but think about the pilgrims who had to take this journey to fulfil their religious obligations. In 1974, both the countries signed a pact regarding travel and stay of pilgrims from India to Pakistan. Nevertheless, ye baat thi kal ki aaj ki baat kuch aur hai.
The man with the vision Mr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, Member of the National Assembly and Chairman of the Pakistan Hindu Council broke the news regarding the agreement between Air India and PIA. Both airlines have found a happy medium to make this religious journey safe, happy and less tiring. It will further open up opportunities for religious tourism and diplomacy in both countries. Katra katra kar kay banta hai darya. We might witness more Pak-India dialogue in future to come. We should do everything that could help promote goodness not only at home but also abroad. This situation rightly fits to what John F. Kennedy once said, “Peace is a daily, a weekly, a monthly process, gradually changing opinions, slowly eroding old barriers, quietly building new structures.”
Pakistan has embarked on a journey where it is doing its best to avoid clashes and promote peace and dialogue in the region. This is exactly what President Imran Khan meant by ‘Naya Pakistan’.
