Benazir's birthday celebrated here with gaiety

New Delhi, June 21 (UNI) Punjabis in the Capital today celebrated birthday of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto with pomp and show sending an apparent message that the leader was their best bet for the success of Indo-Pak peace process.

The World Punjabi Congress laid out a big cake on her 54th birthday at the Press Club here, the event being attended by writers, poets, journalists and diplomats.

The cake was cut by Mr Fakhar Zaman, a minister in the former Benazir cabinet who came from Pakistan for the occasion. Mr Zaman, President of the Punjab Congress, is married to Dr Fatima Zaman, a professor in history in Jamia Milia Islamia University.

It was indeed a short but sweet event on the longest day of the year, June 21 being Summer Solstice.

Mr Zaman, who is well known in Pakistan for his writings in Punjabi and as a poet, said Indo-Pak amity should be promoted by encouraging people-to-people contacts.

He said Ms Bhutto had stood against the fundmentalists in Pakistan, who were the most formidable opponents of the peace process.

Mr Zaman confirmed that Ms Bhutto will be coming to Pakistan from London, where she is residing at present, to participate in the elections later this year.

Dr S S Noor, an eminent Punjabi writer and head of Indian Chapter of the Punjabi Congress, spoke about the breaking of economic barriers between the two countries to spur growth. He said in a globalising world, bilateral barriers were both self-defeating and counter-productive.

He stressed the need for democratisation of Pakistan for an everlasting peace between the two neighbours as also to promote the welfare of their people.

A resolution was adopted on the occasion which laid out that the roadmap for furthering the peace in the region. This included liberlising the visa-regime between the two countries as also among SAARC nations, enhancing cultural, educational and trade exchanges and greater business through the Wagah border.

If two countries could move positively in this direction, the Kashmir issue would be solved ''almost automatically'', the resolution added.

UNI