More than 100 civil society representatives from India and Pakistan have jointly urged the two governments to take "meaningful and sustained" steps to restore peace, dialogue, and cooperation in South Asia.
The appeal, coordinated by O. P. Shah of the New Delhi-based Centre for Peace and Progress, was addressed to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The 116 signatories said continued hostility was denying millions of young people "opportunities, prosperity and a secure future."
"India and Pakistan combined 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 signatories included former Pakistani Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, former ambassador Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, academic Pervez Hoodbhoy, former senator Farhatullah Babar, and civil society figures Beena Sarwar and Salima Hashmi. Indian signatories included Farooq Abdullah, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Mehbooba Mufti, Mani Shankar Aiyar, former RAW chief A.S. Dulat, Jawhar Sircar, and Saifuddin Soz.
The appeal called for confidence-building measures in diplomacy, trade, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. It urged both countries to restore full diplomatic ties, reappoint high commissioners, resume visa services, and restart talks on all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.
The signatories also proposed reopening the Wagah-Attari border, restoring the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad and Lahore-Delhi bus services, resuming the Samjhauta Express and Thar Express trains, reopening airspace for commercial flights, and easing travel restrictions.
They further called for expanding trade, promoting pilgrimage tourism, reopening the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor and Sharada Peeth, lifting restrictions on media, and allowing journalists to travel freely.
The appeal concluded: "We respectfully request you to listen to the aspirations of common people and choose engagement over isolation, dialogue over hostility and cooperation over confrontation."
Source: DAWN
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
