One year after Operation Sindoor, more than 100 prominent individuals from India and Pakistan, including politicians, diplomats and public figures, have jointly urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take meaningful and long-term measures to restore peace, dialogue and normal bilateral relations between the two nations.
The appeal, issued by the Centre for Peace and Progress and endorsed by 117 signatories—61 from India and 56 from Pakistan—called on both governments to move beyond prolonged hostility, arguing that continued tensions are depriving millions of young people of opportunities, economic growth and a secure future.
Among the Indian signatories were National Conference president 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.
The Pakistani signatories included former Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, former diplomat Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, National Assembly member Isphanyar Bhandara, and noted nuclear physicist and author Pervez Hoodbhoy.
The group called for the revival of confidence-building measures such as restoring full diplomatic relations, reappointing High Commissioners in New Delhi and Islamabad, resuming regular visa services and reopening airspace for commercial flights.
The appeal comes despite New Delhi’s continued position that relations with Pakistan cannot improve unless cross-border terrorism ends, reiterating its stance that “terror and talks cannot coexist” and that “terror and trade cannot go hand in hand”.
The signatories also advocated reopening the Attari-Wagah border for trade and travel, restoring the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and reviving other cross-border connectivity initiatives.
“India and Pakistan together are home to nearly one-fifth of humanity. A significant share of our population is young. The people of both countries deserve a future shaped by peace, development, connectivity and cooperation rather than persistent mistrust and confrontation,” the letter said.
It further noted that decades of strained relations have limited the region’s collective potential while imposing substantial social, economic and humanitarian costs. The signatories argued that continued engagement and dialogue remain the most effective way to address differences and build a stable and prosperous South Asia.
The appeal also called for the resumption of a comprehensive bilateral dialogue covering all unresolved issues, including Jammu and Kashmir. It urged both countries to revisit frameworks negotiated between 2004 and 2007, pursue demilitarisation and de-escalation, and address each other’s legitimate security concerns.
Additionally, the signatories sought the reopening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, access to Sharada Peeth in Pakistan’s Neelum Valley, and easier travel to religious and cultural heritage sites across both countries as important confidence-building measures.
The letter appealed to both leaders to reflect the aspirations of ordinary citizens by choosing engagement over isolation, dialogue over hostility and cooperation over confrontation. It emphasised that South Asia’s future should be guided by peace, prosperity and shared progress rather than division and conflict.
The signatories clarified that the appeal was not intended to support any particular political position. Instead, they described it as a call to prioritise the welfare, aspirations and future of nearly two billion people above conflict and division, stressing that peace, dialogue and cooperation offer the most reliable path towards a secure, stable and prosperous South Asia.
