117 intellectuals of India and Pakistan urge Modi-Shehbaz to restore diplomatic ties

A group of 117 prominent figures from India and Pakistan has collectively issued a joint appeal to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging immediate steps to normalize fractured bilateral relations. Facilitated by OP Shah, Chairman of the Centre for Peace and Progress, the open letter features signatures from 61 distinguished Indian citizens and 56 from Pakistan. The signatories emphasize that the two neighboring countries represent roughly one-fifth of the entire global population and possess a massive demographic dividend that deserves a stable environment to thrive.

The comprehensive petition outlines critical bottlenecks created by the perpetual political impasse, highlighting how constant tension actively hinders regional development, employment avenues, and economic prosperity for the younger generation. Notable Indian signatories backing the peace initiative include former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar, Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, and former RAW chief AS Dulat. The Pakistani contingent features high-profile names such as former Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, veteran diplomat Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, and nuclear physicist Pervez Hoodbhoy.

To revive confidence-building measures, the prominent citizens requested both governments to immediately restore full diplomatic relations by reinstating High Commissioners in New Delhi and Islamabad. The letter calls for the resumption of standard civilian visa processing, reopening cross-border cultural routes, and opening the sacred Sharada Peeth shrine in Pakistan's Neelum Valley for Kashmiri Pandit pilgrims. Furthermore, the petition advocates for lifting structural blockades on the media, allowing journalists from both nations to report freely, concluding with a firm assertion that the appeal serves no political faction but champions the future of nearly two billion citizens.