Maps
Magazine

POLITICS & POLICY MAKING

'Choose Dialogue Over Hostility': 116 Prominent Pakistani and Indian Civil Society Leaders Issue Joint Peace Appeal to PMs Sharif and Modi
Over 116 prominent civil society leaders, former diplomats, and politicians from Pakistan and India have issued a joint appeal to PM Shehbaz Sharif and PM Narendra Modi to choose "talks over hostility." The cross-border petition outlines a concrete roadmap to defuse tensions, demanding the restoration of High Commissioners, the reopening of mutual airspace, and the resumption of cross-border trade, train, and bus transit.
ND
by News Desk
2026-07-01
'Choose Dialogue Over Hostility': 116 Prominent Pakistani and Indian Civil Society Leaders Issue Joint Peace Appeal to PMs Sharif and Modi

Detailed Report

  • The Cross-Border Appeal: In a massive, coordinated Track-II diplomatic initiative, over one hundred prominent civil society representatives, academics, and former high-ranking officials from both Pakistan and India have issued a joint appeal to Prime Ministers Shehbaz Sharif and Narendra Modi. The joint petition, coordinated by O. P. Shah of the New Delhi-based Centre for Peace and Progress, urges both leaders to abandon decades of perpetual mistrust and initiate "meaningful and sustained" steps toward structural peace, dialogue, and regional cooperation.

  • The Heavyweight Signatories: The appeal has garnered the backing of 116 influential figures across the South Asian landscape.

    • From the Pakistani Side: Signatories include former Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, former Ambassador to India Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, physicist and academic Dr. Pervez Hoodbhoy, former Senator Farhatullah Babar, and prominent civil rights advocates Beena Sarwar and Salima Hashmi.

    • From the Indian Side: Signatories include Kashmiri leaders Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Mehbooba Mufti, alongside former RAW Chief A.S. Dulat, politician Mani Shankar Aiyar, and academic Prof. Apoorvanand.

  • The Proposed Roadmap: The petition lays out an explicit, actionable list of confidence-building measures (CBMs) spanning diplomatic, economic, and transit corridors. The leaders called for the immediate restoration of full diplomatic ties—including sending High Commissioners back to Islamabad and New Delhi—and a total overhaul of visa processing. Furthermore, they urged both states to reopen the Wagah-Attari land border, reinstate critical mass transit networks like the Samjhauta Express train and Lahore-Delhi bus services, lift mutual airspace bans on commercial airlines, and foster religious tourism by utilizing the Kartarpur Sahib corridor and Neelum Valley’s ancient Sharada Peeth.
Tagged:

#PakIndiaDialogue #TrackIIDiplomacy #ShehbazSharif #NarendraModi #WagahBorder #SamjhautaExpress #SouthAsiaPeace #BreakingNewsAsia
Share News: