A group of Pakistani American doctors joined in the efforts to bring India and Pakistan, traditional South Asian rivals, to achieve lasting peace in the region by promoting greater understanding and friendship. At a press conference held at the Ambassador Hotel, Dr. Hussain Malik, president of the Association of Pakistani Physicians in North America (APNA), announced that on March 8th, a 250-member delegation of Pakistani American doctors will leave for India.

APNA, a 28-year-old organization of Pakistani American doctors with 10,000 members, works to solve problems confronting its membership, but also actively participates in charity, relief, health and education efforts.

Other APNA leaders, including Dr. Mazharul Haq, Dr. Nisar and Dr. Shaukat Khan also addressed the media on this occasion. The president of ARY television channel, Mahmood Awan, who was also present at the press conference, disclosed that APNA has given ARY all rights to cover the doctors’ visit to India.

Dr. Hussain Malik explained that APNA is focused on improving the professional excellence of the Pakistani doctors. Every year, it organizes special seminars on medicine, in the summer in the United States, and in Pakistan during the winter.

Dr. Malik announced the APNA decided to hold this year’s international medical seminar in India, a first in the history of the organization. For this purpose the 250 APNA members, along with their families, are going to Pakistan and then on to India. The visit is being referred to as “India-Pakistan: A bridge for the people.” He emphasized that the main objective of the visit is to further promote the already cordial people-to-people contact between India and Pakistan.

An important part of the visit will be the seminars in New Delhi and Mumbai (Bombay). In New Delhi, Dr. Malik said, the seminar would be held in collaboration with the Escort Heart Institute and the Apollo Hospital; in Mumbai the seminar is being organized in collaboration with the Tata Hospital and the Wockhardt Hospital.

According to Dr. Hussain, illiteracy is one of the biggest problems affecting South Asia, home to a large portion of the world’s population, which can only be overcome through collaboration and cooperation between the countries in the region.

Dr. Hussain announced that the APNA would give monetary assistance to the Maulana Azad Clinic during their visit to India [Translator’s note: Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was one of the founding fathers of India, and was that country’s first education minister after it became independent from the British Empire. Maula Azad is also revered in Pakistan as a great Muslim leader]. Dr. Hussain said APNA also intends to “adopt” a village near Amritsar in India’s east Punjab state. The APNA leadership especially thanked the Indian ambassador to the United States for facilitating the APNA delegation’s visit.