SRINAGAR: Over 100 prominent politicians, former diplomats and civil society members from India and Pakistan have jointly appealed to Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif to restore diplomatic engagement and normalise relations between the two neighbours.
The appeal comes amid continued strains in bilateral ties and calls on both governments to resume dialogue, reopen trade and transport links, and expand people-to-people exchanges.
The open letter was signed by 116 people — 61 from India and 55 from Pakistan — including former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, former Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief AS Dulat, Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, former Pakistan diplomat Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, moderate separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, former Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar and former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri.
Coordinated by OP Shah, chairman of the Centre for Peace and Progress, the letter, dated 30 June, urged the two governments to take “meaningful and sustained steps towards restoring peace, normalcy, dialogue and cooperation in South Asia”. It said “sustained engagement and dialogue remain the only viable path to resolving differences”.
The signatories called for the restoration of full diplomatic relations, including the reinstatement of high commissioners, the resumption of normal visa services and the revival of a comprehensive bilateral dialogue covering all outstanding issues.
They also urged discussions on Jammu and Kashmir, including revisiting the framework negotiated between 2004 and 2007, alongside steps towards demilitarisation and de-escalation while addressing the “legitimate security concerns” of both countries. The letter called for the reopening of trade channels, the restoration of normal commercial relations, the revival of the Most Favoured Nation or an equivalent non-discriminatory trade arrangement, and the reopening of the Attari-Wagah land border.
It also sought the resumption of the Delhi-Lahore bus service, the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, the Samjhauta Express and the Thar Express, as well as the opening of the Kargil-Skardu route and the reopening of airspace for commercial flights.
The appeal further called for reopening the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, opening Sharada Peeth to pilgrims, easing travel restrictions, expanding exchanges among students, journalists, artists and business people, and lifting restrictions on media outlets and digital platforms.
“The future of South Asia should be shaped not by division and conflict, but by peace, prosperity and shared progress,” the letter said.
It added that the appeal was “not an endorsement of any political position” but a call to place the welfare and aspirations of nearly two billion people “above conflict, confrontation and division”.
The signatories noted that India and Pakistan together are home to nearly one-fifth of the world’s population, with a large proportion of their citizens being young.
They wrote that continued hostility deprives millions of young people of opportunities, prosperity and a secure future.
The letter concluded by urging both governments to choose engagement over isolation, dialogue over hostility and cooperation over confrontation.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
