117 Indian And Pakistani Citizens Urge Modi, Shehbaz To Restore Dialogue And Diplomatic Ties

More than 100 prominent citizens from India and Pakistan have called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif to take meaningful and sustained steps towards restoring peace, normalcy, dialogue and cooperation, saying continued hostility is denying millions of young people on both sides opportunities, prosperity and a secure future.

According to Indian Express, the appeal was made through an open letter issued by the Centre for Peace and Progress and signed by 117 prominent citizens from the two countries. The letter made suggestions ranging from immediate diplomatic measures to the resumption of a structured dialogue, the reconnection of people-to-people links and the promotion of religious and cultural access. It also sought the restoration of full diplomatic relations and the reinstatement of High Commissioners in New Delhi and Islamabad, along with the resumption of normal visa services for citizens of both countries.

“India and Pakistan together are home to nearly one-fifth of humanity. A large proportion of our population is young…The people of both countries deserve a future defined by peace, development, connectivity and cooperation, rather than perpetual mistrust and confrontation,” the letter stated.

“Decades of estrangement has hindered our collective potential and imposed significant social, economic and human costs. We believe that sustained engagement and dialogue remain the only viable path to resolving differences and building a stable and prosperous region,” it added.

Indian Express reported that the group asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif to consider a series of confidence-building measures, including restoring full diplomatic relations by reinstating High Commissioners in New Delhi and Islamabad and resuming normal visa services for citizens of both countries.

The letter also called for reopening a comprehensive bilateral dialogue on all outstanding issues such as discussions on Jammu and Kashmir, including revisiting the framework negotiated between 2004 and 2007. It sought steps towards demilitarisation and de-escalation to create lasting peace in the region while addressing “legitimate security concerns of both countries”.

As reported by Indian Express, the signatories also called for fully reopening the Attari-Wagah land border for trade and travel, resuming the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, among other connectivity initiatives, and reopening airspace for commercial airlines to reduce travel time and costs and improve connectivity.

The letter further urged reopening the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor as an important confidence-building measure. It also called for opening the Sharada Peeth, a sacred religious site of Kashmiri Pandits located in Pakistan’s Neelum Valley, in addition to facilitating visits to religious and cultural heritage sites on both sides of the border.

The letter was signed by 117 people, including 61 signatories from India and 56 from Pakistan.

National Conference chief Dr Farooq Abdullah, separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, RJD MP Manoj Jha, and former TMC minister and current AJUP leader Humayun Kabir were among the 61 signatories from India.

On Pakistan’s side, former Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, diplomat Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, National Assembly member Isphanyar Bhandara, and nuclear physicist and author Pervez Hoodbhoy were among the 56 signatories from Pakistan.

“We respectfully request you to listen to the aspirations of common people and choose engagement over isolation, dialogue over hostility and cooperation over confrontation. The future of South Asia should be shaped not by division and conflict, but by peace, prosperity and shared progress,” the letter stated.

“This appeal is not an endorsement of any political position. It is a call to place the welfare, aspirations and future of nearly two billion people above conflict, confrontation, and division. We believe that peace, dialogue and cooperation offer the surest path towards a stable, prosperous and secure South Asia,” the letter added.

(With inputs from Indian Express)