9th May 2025,
South Asian Peoples’ organisations reject war: peace is the only way
At this critical moment of military escalation, we, the membership based organisations—Pakistan India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD), and the World Forum of Fisher Peoples (WFFP)—urgently appeals to the governments of India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and renew their commitment to peace.
We implore both countries to immediately step back from the brink of war and halt any further military escalation. As leaders of nuclear-armed nations, India and Pakistan bear the moral and political responsibility to prevent catastrophic humanitarian fallout. The continuation of hostilities would claim countless innocent lives, create mass displacement, and further destabilise the region.
At a time when both countries face immense developmental challenges—from poverty alleviation and public health to employment and education—Such a war would not remain confined to the two countries alone—it would destabilise the entire South Asian region, where fragile economies, migratory flows, and historical tensions would be further aggravated. South Asia grapples with climate disasters, poverty, youth unemployment, and health crises, this escalation will cripple the ability of our states to respond to their people’s basic needs. Lives have already been lost in India, Pakistan, and Jammu and Kashmir and tensions are arising in Punjab and Chandigarh. The suffering of ordinary people—especially those in border regions and conflict zones—continues to deepen. Jammu and Kashmir, in particular, remains caught in decades of violence and persecution.
This war, however, is not just about two states. It has become a staged theatre of global militarism, in which Kashmir is treated like a testing ground for new weapons systems, while civilians are reduced to expendable pawns. This has transformed the conflict into a live-fire demonstration, serving the interests of the global military-industrial complex while hollowing out all protections for civilians.
We must ask: Who profits from this conflict? Who pays the price? And who speaks for the people of South Asia—those living in fear, under fire, and without choices?
We urge the governments of India and Pakistan to immediately cease hostilities and return to diplomatic engagement. We call on the people of South Asia to stand united in rejecting war. The survival and dignity of our region depends not on weapons, but on solidarity, cooperation, and peace.
Issued by: Pakistan India Peoples’ Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD), and World Forum of Fisher Peoples (WFFP)