Voices for Peace: Eminent Citizens Urge India-Pakistan Dialogue.

117 leaders and intellectuals call for restoring ties, connectivity, and trust across borders.

A year after Operation Sindoor, a remarkable appeal has emerged from across the India-Pakistan divide. A collective of 117 distinguished personalities, 61 from India and 56 from Pakistanhas urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart, Shehbaz Sharif, to take decisive steps to rebuild peace and normalize relations between the two nations.

The initiative, coordinated by the Centre for Peace and Progress, emphasizes that decades of hostility have deprived millions of young people of opportunities, prosperity, and a secure future. The signatories include prominent political leaders, diplomats, academics, and public figures. From India, names such as Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Manoj Jha, and Humayun Kabir stand out. On the Pakistani side, the list features Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, Isphanyar Bhandara, and noted scholar Pervez Hoodbhoy.

Their joint letter calls for a revival of confidencebuilding measures that once symbolized hope between the two countries. Among the proposals are reinstating High Commissioners in New Delhi and Islamabad, reopening airspace for commercial flights, and resuming visa services to facilitate people-to-people contact. The appeal also highlights the importance of reopening the Attari-Wagah border for trade, reviving the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, and restoring other cross-border connectivity projects.

The signatories stress that India and Pakistan, together home to nearly one-fifth of humanity, cannot afford to remain trapped in perpetual mistrust. They argue that dialogue, rather than confrontation, is the only sustainable path forward. The letter urges both governments to revisit earlier negotiation frameworks, particularly those discussed between 2004 and 2007, and to address sensitive issues such as Jammu and Kashmir through sustained engagement, demilitarisation, and de-escalation.

Religious and cultural exchanges also feature prominently in the appeal. The reopening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, access to Sharada Peeth in Pakistan’s Neelum Valley, and easier travel to heritage sites on both sides are seen as vital steps to rebuild trust and foster goodwill.

The letter concludes with a powerful reminder: this appeal is not about endorsing political positions but about prioritizing the welfare of nearly two billion people. It calls on both leaders to choose cooperation over isolation, dialogue over hostility, and shared progress over division. For South Asia, the message is clear, peace and partnership remain the surest path to stability and prosperity.