A group of more than 100 influential figures from India and Pakistan has come together to urge Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif to end the long-running diplomatic standoff between their countries and restore normal relations.
The effort was organized by O.P. Shah, a prominent Indian peace activist who serves as founder-chairman of the Centre for Peace and Progress, a civil society organization dedicated to promoting dialogue and reconciliation between the two nations.
The letter, which has been widely covered by major Indian news outlets, bears the signatures of 117 notable individuals — 61 from India and 56 from Pakistan.
Those who signed the letter are calling for a return to structured, comprehensive diplomatic talks, pointing to the negotiation framework that was in place between 2004 and 2007 as a potential model to follow.
The document lays out a step-by-step plan for reducing hostilities. Among the proposals: reinstating high commissioners in both countries, reopening the Atari-Wagah border crossing along with other key trade and transport routes, lifting restrictions on commercial airspace, and relaxing visa rules to make it easier for families, students, and business travelers to cross between the two countries.
The signatories warned that the ongoing tensions are taking a serious toll — both human and economic — and are dimming the prospects of millions of young people across South Asia. The letter argues that the needs and hopes of nearly two billion people must be placed above political disagreements and longstanding historical disputes.
The initiative has attracted widespread attention given the prominence of those who signed it. Indian signatories include former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, former intelligence chief A.S. Dulat of India’s top spy agency RAW, as well as lawmakers, scholars, and public intellectuals such as Mani Shankar Aiyar, Manoj Jha, and Apoorvanand.
On the Pakistani side, signatories include former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, veteran diplomat Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, physicist Pervez Hoodbhoy, and civil society advocates Beena Sarwar and Salima Hashmi.
The letter arrives at a particularly tense moment in relations between the two countries, following an escalation that grew out of a conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors in May 2025.
Supporters of the initiative say it builds on small but encouraging signs of renewed engagement, including recent informal diplomatic contacts in Colombo and public statements from some members of India’s political establishment stressing the value of keeping communication lines open.
While both governments continue to face significant domestic political pressures and deep-rooted security concerns, the letter reflects an ongoing push from civil society voices who believe that dialogue is essential to preventing further conflict and opening the door to greater regional economic cooperation.
As of now, neither New Delhi nor Islamabad has issued an official response to the appeal.
