Mumbai, Jan 18: Pakistani parliamentarians today demanded relaxation of visa restrictions by India and said there should be more free flow of journalists, politicians, students and others across the borders. "We had asked for 5000 visas for attending the world social forum here but have been given only 425 even when 1,200 visas were promised to us," leader of the 20-member Pakistani parliamentary delegation at the ongoing world social forum, Chaudhary Manzoor Ahmed, said.

Ahmed, also a Pakistan peoples party MP, said a group of South Asian parliamentarians would be formed to discuss the issues between the two neighbours.

Demanding demilitarisation and denuclearisation of the South Asian region, Ahmed said that India and Pakistan are facing the same problems of poverty, hunger and disease which are being aggravated by the high allocation for militarisation in budgets of both the countries.
Pakistan is spending less than Ethiopia and Afghanistan on health and education and the country ranked 149th among 150 countries on health indices, he said.

Stressing on people-to-people contact for strengthening the peace process, Ahmed said that there should be free flow of people from all walks of life including politicians, trade unionists and students across the borders.

Bureau Report