In a significant cross-border peace initiative, 117 prominent personalities from India and Pakistan have jointly written an open letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging both governments to reduce tensions and revive dialogue in the interest of nearly two billion people living across the two nations.
The appeal, issued through the Centre for Peace and Progress, brings together political leaders, retired diplomats, academics, social activists, and public intellectuals from both countries. The signatories describe the letter as a humanitarian initiative aimed at promoting peace, regional stability, and greater people-to-people engagement rather than supporting any particular political position.
A Rare Cross-Border Initiative
The letter has been signed by 61 prominent individuals from India and 56 from Pakistan, making it one of the largest recent joint civil-society appeals for improved India-Pakistan relations.
Among the Indian signatories are National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, RJD MP Manoj Jha, former West Bengal minister Humayun Kabir, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, and Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. The Pakistani signatories include former Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, former diplomat Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, National Assembly member Isphanyar Bhandara, and noted physicist and author Pervez Hoodbhoy.
Call for Restoring Diplomatic Relations
One of the key recommendations in the letter is the restoration of full diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Islamabad. The signatories have urged both governments to appoint High Commissioners once again and normalize diplomatic channels. They have also appealed for the resumption of regular visa services, making it easier for divided families, students, tourists, businesspersons, and professionals to travel between the two countries. The letter also recommends reopening commercial airspace and restoring transport links that have remained suspended due to bilateral tensions.
Trade and Connectivity
The peace initiative stresses that stronger economic ties could benefit citizens on both sides of the border. The signatories have called for reopening the Attari-Wagah border for regular trade and reviving cross-border transport services, including the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, which previously served as an important confidence-building measure. According to the letter, improving connectivity would encourage commerce, strengthen regional cooperation, and help rebuild trust between the two neighbours.
Religious and Cultural Access
The appeal also highlights the importance of preserving shared cultural and religious heritage. Among its recommendations is the reopening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor to facilitate easier access for Sikh pilgrims. The signatories have also urged authorities to allow pilgrimage to Sharada Peeth, the historic temple and ancient centre of learning located in Pakistan’s Neelum Valley, enabling Kashmiri Pandits and other devotees to visit the revered site.
Renewed Dialogue on Jammu and Kashmir
The letter emphasizes the need for a structured bilateral dialogue covering all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir. The signatories have suggested revisiting the peace initiatives and backchannel discussions held between 2004 and 2007, arguing that renewed engagement could pave the way for confidence-building measures, reduced military tensions, and long-term regional stability.
‘A Future Built on Peace’
In their concluding message, the group noted that India and Pakistan together account for nearly one-fifth of the world’s population, with a large percentage being young people whose future depends on peace and economic development rather than prolonged hostility.
The signatories stressed that the appeal is not intended to endorse any political viewpoint but to encourage both governments to place the welfare, aspirations, and future of their people above conflict and confrontation.
As of now, neither the Indian nor the Pakistani government has officially responded to the open letter.
