Pak homeopaths arrive in India

WAGAH: A Twenty two-member delegation of Pakistan homeopathic doctors led by Dr Ashraf Intsar arrived at Wagah land border on Wednesday.
These doctors have come to participate in the 14th Homeopathic Congress 2003 being held from October 17 to 19 at Air Force Auditorium, New Delhi. The conference is organised by Asian Homeopathic Medical League (AHML) and The International Foundation for Homeopathy, Education, Alternatives, Learning and Total Health.(HEALTH).
Ashraf said that various sessions on the topics "The role of Homeopathy in Multi Drug Resistant Tuberculosis" "Homeopathy in Pediatric Disorders" etc would be covered in the conference. He said their visit would also further the ongoing process of normalisation of relations between two nations adding that they had no political agenda in India.
Dr B S Chandhok, Dr Rajeev Chopra, Dr M Shahid and Dr Surmeet Singh Mavi received the Pakistani doctors at Wagah who later left for Delhi in a special bus.
Irked over the travel formalities between two nations, Ashraf said that both the governments of Pakistan and India should simplify the travel procedures and lift various restrictions.
He opined that special preferences should be given to travelers belonging to elite class like doctors, journalists etc while visiting either side of border. He said the doctors had arrived at 8.30 am on the Pakistan side of Wagah but could cross only around 3.50 pm after completion of the formalities.
Ashraf said he would invite a delegation of Indian homeopaths to visit Pakistan adding that exchange programs would go in a long way in strengthening ties between two nations.
Dr Asifa Shakir, the only female member of delegation from Karachi said that homeopathy was gaining acceptance among general masses in Pakistan. She said urbanites were more inclined towards homeopathy than ruralites.
Dr Kamran Mirja rued that there wasn''t much support to homeopaths as compared to allopathic doctors even as the recognition to homeopath treatment was increasing in Pakistan.
Dr Mohd Azhar said that they had brought a message of happiness and prosperity (Khushi Ka Pegam) for all Indians and were hopeful that normalcy would soon prevail across the borders. He was of strong opinion that their visit would leave a mark towards peace and fraternity.
Dr Chandhok said that about 600 renowned speakers from India and abroad were expected to attend the Congress. Senior students, practitioners and homeopathic teachers especially, stand to gain a lot of learning experience through hearing and interacting with internationally renowned homeopaths.