Pakistani students visit The Tribune Overwhelmed by freedom, affection

Pakistani students visit The Tribune Overwhelmed by freedom, affection
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 28
Underlining the need for more people-to-people interaction, the Editor-in-Chief of the Tribune Group of Newspapers, Mr H.K. Dua, today said such interactions could wipe out the divide of the boundaries between India and Pakistan.

In a meeting with a seven-member team of computer sciences students, led by Dr Sarmad Abbasi, an Assistant Professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences, Mr Dua hoped that the visit by the students would further strengthen the bonds of friendship between the two neighbours. There was an intense desire on both sides to live in peace, he said.

The students were in the city as part of their goodwill visit to different cities in the northern India. After giving a brief on the 123-year-old glorious past of The Tribune newspaper and its contribution to the freedom struggle, the Editor-in-Chief said generations had been raised on The Tribune and it had produced many known faces in the field of journalism.

Referring to the ongoing efforts to improve the bilateral relations between the two nations, Mr Dua said it could result in the two nations exchanging newspapers so that the people could keep themselves updated. He said both nations would be gainers in the forthcoming cricket series starting next month in Pakistan.

The students would be visiting Delhi, Jaipur, Fatehpur Sikhri and other cities in the northern India, said Dr Abbasi while interacting with the Editor-in-Chief and other senior members of the editorial team of the newspaper.

Talking about their experience after they landed in the city yesterday having travelled by train from Wagah to Ambala, the students said the warmth with which they were received overwhelmed them. “The affection we received was due to the fact that we had come from Pakistan with a mission of peace and to understand the true India,” said S. Arzoo, the only girl student from Lahore, who is part of the team.

Another thing, which attracted the attention of the students, was the civilised society and the freedom to express. “The student unions were involved in pursuing the demands of the students instead of being involved in undesired activities as in Pakistan,” said Aimal Tariq.

After being treated to a lunch, the students visited the printing section of The Tribune and were informed on the procedure involved in printing the newspaper. The students also enquired about the internet edition of the newspaper.