October 15, 2015: CODE PAKISTAN held a discussion on “Peace through Economic Cooperation: Can India and Pakistan Move Forward?” between the students of Abasyn University and various madrasahs of Islamabad. The students of Abasyn University and the madrasahs enthusiastically participated in the discussion expressing their thoughts on India Pakistan relations in general and on the possibility of bringing about peace between the two countries through economic cooperation. There students expressed diverse opinions on the subjects. Some of the students highlighted the importance of peace and prosperity in the region and called for greater economic cooperation between India and Pakistan. Other student argued, however, that economic cooperation cannot automatically lead to peace. They believed that economic cooperation is currently dominated by the political ups and downs in the relations between the two countries and that until and unless economic relations are institutionalized in a way that political temperatures don’t affect them, they could not bring about peace. There was a broad consensus that while economic cooperation was important, the resolution of longstanding disputes between the two countries was as important for bringing about lasting peace in the region.
Mr. Daniyal Hassan of the Research Society on International Relations moderated the discussion. He underscored the importance of bringing about human development and prosperity in the region through greater economic integration in South Asia. Executive Director CODE PAKISTAN Aarish Khan argued that if the leaders of Germany and France could form the European Coal and Steel Community (that later became the European Union) on the heels of World War II, India and Pakistan could also put the past behind them and strive for a better future for their peoples through peace and prosperity.
The discussion was part of the University Madrasah Interaction Program (UMIP), which aims to bring the students of madrasahs and universities closer to each other by promoting positive and meaningful interaction between them. A total of ten discussions will be held between the students of Abasyn University and madrasahs under UMIP. For more details on UMIP, please click here.