Plan to screen Pak Punjabi films

He added that the idea was to unite Punjabi community on both sides of the international border through art. Referring to cultural ties before the nuclear tests he said a concert was organised in Mohali two years ago in which prominent Punjabi singers including Reshma, the famous Punjabi folk singer from Pakistan, participated.

According to Gharuan, efforts to build up ties between the people on the two sides were adversely affected following the tests but there was still some hope after the two Prime Ministers, A B Vajpayee and Nawaz Sharif, had offered to start the dialogue afresh.

He said, “50 years of hostility and wars have landed us nowhere.” Gharuan, who had also visited Wagha Border a few days ago to participate in the candle light vigil said, “ If not much we can at least think of trade or sharing power with Pakistan”.

When asked to comment on reported statement of former Youth Congress president Maninderjit Singh Bitta criticising him for honoring Nawaz Sharif during one of his visits to Pakistan, Gharuan said, “As the president of the Aalmi Punjabi Parwaar I would no like to react somebody’s political motives”.

He further said that since Punjab shared a common culture with the Muslims across the “man-made border” it was not in their interest to appreciate a war like situation. He quipped, “We even have common surnames”.

Gharuan said that Punjabis on the Indian side had largely rejected the nuclear programme of the government and that was the reason why some of the Akali leaders were supporting his cause.