117 eminent personalities from India, Pakistan urge dialogue, writes to PM Modi, Shehbaz Sharif; BJP, oppn raise objection
PTC News Desk: A year after Operation Sindoor, more than 100 prominent people from India and Pakistan have jointly urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take meaningful and long-term steps to improve relations and restore dialogue between the two countries.
The appeal, issued by the Centre for Peace and Progress and signed by 117 people, said that continued hostility is hurting millions of young people by limiting opportunities, economic growth and a secure future. Indian signatories included Farooq Abdullah, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Mehbooba Mufti, Manoj Jha and Humayun Kabir.
Pakistani signatories included former Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, former diplomat Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, lawmaker Isphanyar Bhandara and physicist-author Pervez Hoodbhoy.
The group called for confidence-building measures such as restoring full diplomatic ties, reappointing High Commissioners in New Delhi and Islamabad, resuming normal visa services and reopening airspace for commercial flights.
However, India has continued to maintain that its policy towards Pakistan remains unchanged, stressing that "terror and talks cannot coexist" and that any improvement in relations depends on an end to cross-border terrorism.
Reacting to the letter, BJP leader Gaurav Vallabh said peace cannot be one-sided and that water and blood cannot flow together, pointing to the suspended Indus Water Treaty. “We desire peace, but we will not tolerate Pakistan-sponsored terrorism being brought into our country in the name of peace. This will be considered an act of war. For the first time, a government has spoken so decisively against terrorism. We want peace, but not the kind of peace advocated by parties that practice the politics of appeasement where we remain silent while extremism and terrorism spread in our country,” Vallabh said.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Manish Tewari opposed the idea of talks, saying India's efforts to promote peace over the past 50 years have repeatedly been met with Pakistan-backed terror attacks. Referring to the Baisaran massacre, he said it was unfortunate that some people had forgotten the killing of innocent tourists and accused Pakistan of continuing to support terrorism against India for decades.
- With inputs from agencies
