Thank you again for supporting our appeal for nuclear-armed Pakistan and India to stop hostilities. Just a few hours ago, we cautiously celebrated a 'ceasefire'. Since the announcement, however, reports of shelling and blackouts at the border compel us to reassert that unless the two biggest countries of Southasia* sit down to a genuine dialogue, the violence will not end. Anything can again trigger the kind of crisis we appeared to be emerging from. 

To repeat: Who suffers? People at the border areas. Unarmed civilians, including children . Plus the damage caused to property, mental and emotional health, not just to those directly affected but all of us who have been on tenterhooks since the violence began. 

We renew our resolve #NeverAgain. STOP HOSTILITIES. There is no viable alternative to dialogue.

As you know, we at Southasia Peace Action Network (Sapan) have long been urging this path, supported by more than 100 organisations and hundreds of individuals in the region and across the world.

We are grateful to have you with us in our struggle to keep building peace.

To stay connected, ensure that your name is listed on the Sapan Founding Charter - https://southasiapeace.com/founding-charter And please follow us on social media @southasiapeace.

Solidarity

Team Sapan

*Southasia' as one word - because history, geography and shared struggles say so. This is not just a spelling choice; it is a political and a poetic one.