145;We are just separated by borders146;

8220;The city is similar to Islamabad with all the greenery and roundabouts,8221; says Risham Ahmad while adding that Sikh boys are 8220;very attractive8221; and 8220;wearing the pag adds to their charm8221;.

Girls on two-wheelers are, however, a 8216;rare sight8217; for them. 8220;Back home, we do not even ride cycles, only cars. It was amusing to see girls driving scooters,8221; says another student Zikra Baloch.

Drawing a relation between the cultures of the two countries, Shabbir, a student-cum-social activist says, 8220;Though the traditions are almost similar, here it is more vibrant and rich. Indian food is very delicious, though it seems that there is more vegetarianism here. The spices and herbs make the food here very tempting.8221;

Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan enjoys mass popularity in Pakistan as well. 8220;I am a huge fan of Shah Rukh and do not miss any of his movies. We regularly watch Hindi movies for all the song and dance routine and the glamour is captivating,8221; says a student Shayan.

For these students, the hostility between the two countries is politically manifested. 8220;My purpose to visit India is to tell people that Muslims are not terrorists. Because of a handful of fanatics, the entire community has been maligned. The media is projecting us in a very demeaning way which is very hurting,8221; says a student Nadeh.

He adds 8220;We want Indians to visit us and overcome their apprehensions as we are essentially the same, just separated by borders.8221;

Students8217; peace festival kicks off

The third International Students8217; Peace Festival kicked off on Sunday with a cultural programme at DAV College, Sector 10. Union minister of state for finance and parliamentary affairs, Pawan Kumar Bansal, was the chief guest on the occasion. Nearly 200 students from various countries, including Pakistan and Nepal, will participate in the festival that aims at providing a platform to young minds for exchage of ideas. Addressing the audience on the importance of harmony among the countries, Bansal said, 8220;We need to move on with time and forget the animosity between the two countries, India and Pakistan. Peace festivals like these offer first hand opportunity to the young to know each other, and make bridges where efforts of the elders have failed.8221; H S Mattewal, Advocate General Punjab, harped on global threats of terror and the relevance of maintaining peace during the critical period. The cultural programme organised on the occasion had various items including Tamil dance and Punjabi Bolis presented by students of DAV School, Amritsar. While on a sightseeing tour of the city, the guests also visited the Rock Garden and Sukhna Lake. Abbas Ali from South Asia Partnership, Pakistan, Mubashir Mirza, Chairman CYDA, Mayor Pardeep Chhabra and Ram Chander from Nepal also addressed the students.