New Delhi/Islamabad: At a time when there seems to be no end to tensions between the two neighbours, more than 100 prominent citizens from India and Pakistan have jointly appealed to their governments to revive dialogue and take concrete steps toward restoring peace and cooperation.
In an open letter to the Prime Ministers of both countries by the Centre for Peace and Progress, 117 eminent personalities have urged both leaders to adopt long-term measures to rebuild trust and normalize bilateral relations.
Millions of young people in both countries are being deprived of opportunities, economic growth, and a secure future due to decades of strained ties, the letter says, while highlighting the impact of prolonged hostility on the younger generation.
“India and Pakistan together are home to nearly one-fifth of humanity. The people of both countries deserve a future defined by peace, development, connectivity and cooperation, rather than perpetual mistrust and confrontation,” the letter states, as reported by DNA.
Several confidence-building measures have been proposed by the signatories, including restoring full diplomatic relations, reappointing High Commissioners in New Delhi and Islamabad, and resuming regular visa services for ordinary citizens.
The letter has also called for restarting structured bilateral dialogue, strengthening people-to-people exchanges, and promoting religious and cultural interactions.
Proposals include reopening the Attari-Wagah land border for trade and travel, resuming the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, reopening airspace for commercial flights, restoring the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, and facilitating access to Sharada Peeth, a revered religious site for Kashmiri Pandits in Pakistan’s Neelum Valley.
Sixty-one of the signatories are from India. They include National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha, and Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP) leader Humayun Kabir.
Former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, former diplomat Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, national assembly member Isphanyar Bhandara, and renowned nuclear physicist and author Pervez Hoodbhoy are among those who signed from Pakistan.
The appeal is not an endorsement of any political position but a call to place the welfare and aspirations of nearly two billion people above conflict and confrontation, the letter has clarified.
Relations between India and Pakistan deteriorated after the Pahalgam terror strike of April 22, 2025, in which 26 innocent people were killed. India started cutting off diplomatic ties with Islamabad after it came to be known that terrorists based in Pakistan had planned and orchestrated the strike.
In May 2025, the two countries fought a four-day war after India struck terror facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. India also suspended the Indus Waters Treaty.
