(Image source from: www.hindustantimes.com)

The students of Indian and Pakistani nationals, staff and faculty at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, have called for a de-escalation of tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad for the security and prosperity of the South Asian region.

Further deterioration of the situation is likely to destabilize the entire region socially, economically and politically, said more than 140 South Asian members of Harvard University in a letter.

The statement comes amid escalating tensions prevailing between India and Pakistan in recent days.

India and Pakistan on Wednesday claimed that they had shot down each others’ fighter jets, a day after the Indian Air Force had struck a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. India said Pakistan had attempted to target military installations in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday and confirmed a pilot of its Air Force was missing in action after the operation.

Pakistan had claimed that its jets struck across the Line of Control (LoC) from “Pakistani airspace”, and that it had shot down two Indian jets. The action was not targeted at military installations or civilians, Islamabad claimed.

The signatories urged citizens of both countries to exercise restraint. “We are constantly reminded of our shared history, heritage, and culture,” they said in the letter. “We are alike in our shared desire for long term peaceful relations between our two countries.”

They also asked the national media in both countries to report responsibly and resist from warmongering.

“We hope our governments explore all options of diplomacy, and not put further civilian and military lives at risk,” the letter read.

The signatories further demanded that the elected representatives of both the countries work towards long-term resolution of conflict, rather than electoral gains.

-Sowmya Sangam