RAWALPINDI, Jan 18: Yakjehti Committee (YC) - a joint forum of civil society organisations, trade unions, association of kucha abadi dwellers and students - on Saturday held a “Human Chain for Peace” against the possible US attack on Iraq.

Thousands of participants stood on one side of the Murree Road and formed the “Human Chain” from Mareer Chowk to Shamsabad. The chain started at 11 am with the release of hundreds of balloons and pigeons in the air and ended at 1 pm.

The participants comprised peace activists from 19 well-known non-government organisations (NGOs) including Pattan Development Organisation, Aurat Foundation, Pakistan-India People’s Forum for Peace and Democracy, Awake Association, Action Add, Brothers’ Association, Al-Maryam Development Trust etc and the students of as many local schools, besides, the citizens and professionals from the twin cities.

The peaceful demonstrators raised slogans against war and urged the world leaders to stop the US government from initiating its pre-planned oil war against Iraq. They were holding banners and placards inscribed with the slogans against the US imperialism across the globe. At some places, the participants also used loudspeakers to raise slogans against the US.

In the section between Chandni Chowk and Faizabad, the school children were holding banners and posters, which highlighted the evils of the war and the undemocratic and imperialistic designs of the US government to control the resources of the world.

The children also urged the world leaders to ensure a safe future for them by adopting a policy of tolerance, patience and peace in the world. Prizes to the students with best posters and placards would also be given by the members of the World Champion blind cricket team within a week.

The participants maintained that terrorism could not be uprooted through terrorism and asked the United States not to shed the blood of Iraqi citizens including children and women at the cost of oil.

They also termed the friends of the US President George Bush as the enemies of humanity and pressed for a stronger international coalition of peace-lovers around the world to prevent the US from initiating its war on Iraq.

Three theatrical groups including, Lok Natak and Patni from Islamabad and a group by the women development foundation from Rawalpindi, presented anti-war plays at the Committee Chowk and near Rescue 15 office at Liaqat Bagh. A theatrical group by Pattan Development Organisation also presented a play near Faizabad, which highlighted the destructive policies of the US around the world.

A group of artists from Faisalabad boarding a truck also sang a peace song. Leaflets against the possible US attack on Iraq were also distributed among the general public. Some youngsters, who were holding flags imprinted with the image of dove, were also shouting anti-war slogans. The anti-war placards and banners were seen pasted or fastened on the cabs and the public transport vehicles.

Mobile police teams patrolled the Murree Road and kept a vigil at the participants to avoid any untoward situation. Jamil Omar, the coordinator of YC, while talking to Dawn said the committee was not against the US citizens but the anti-peace policies of their government. He said the US should be held accountable for its long history of aggression and interference around the world and added that its insatiable greed for oil had led to the disintegration of Afghan society and the militarisation of Pakistani state and society.

He said the YC believed that the struggle for peace was intimately linked to the struggle against unbridled corporatisation and the onslaught of neo-liberalism. He said like in Afghanistan, the international financial institutions (IFIs) were preparing themselves for a post-war-reconstruction in Iraq.

At the end, the participants loudly spoke a resolution, which unanimously rejected any US attack on Iraq and pledged their unconditional commitment to stopping the war against Iraq.