The conference was inaugurated Wednesday evening with participants calling for making Indian books and newspapers easily available in Pakistan and those of Pakistan in India.

Speaking at the opening session, leader of the Pakistani delegation Saleem Mirza, eminent journalist Vinod Mehta and Vice Chancellor of the University Mushirul Hasan stressed the importance of people-to-people contact for enhancing mutual understanding and furthering peace in the region.

They said it was high time that people took over from politicians in the efforts for peace.

They felt it would be of great help in furthering mutual understanding if there was a free flow of books, journals and newspapers between the two countries.

This time the delegates are not the usual names that one encounters at such India-Pakistan events. ''This is a genuine effort to have real contact with those who have not been to India before and who would ordinarily not get a chance to meet and interact with their counterparts in this country,'' a University Spokesperson said.

Apart from the academic deliberations on politics, India-Pakistan relations and the role of art in fostering peace, a book exhibition, an art show and readings from Baluchi, Sindhi, Urdu and Punjabi and Siraiki literatures are also being held during the conference, being organised by the recently set up Centre for Jawaharlal Nehru Studies.