The appeal was made through an open letter issued by the Centre for Peace and Progress, which has been endorsed by over 100 signatories from both nations. The letter urged the governments of India and Pakistan to restore full diplomatic relations by reinstating High Commissioners in New Delhi and Islamabad and resuming normal visa services for citizens of both countries.
According to the letter, India and Pakistan together are home to nearly one-fifth of the world's population, with a significant proportion consisting of young people whose future should be shaped by peace, development, connectivity and cooperation rather than continued mistrust and confrontation. The signatories stated that the people of both countries deserve a future built on mutual engagement instead of prolonged hostility.
The letter called for the reopening of a comprehensive bilateral dialogue covering all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir. It also recommended revisiting the framework negotiated between 2004 and 2007 and proposed measures aimed at demilitarisation and de-escalation while addressing what it described as the legitimate security concerns of both countries.
Among the practical confidence-building measures suggested were the reopening of the Attari-Wagah land border for trade and travel, restoration of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, and the introduction of additional connectivity initiatives. The signatories also urged both governments to reopen their airspace for commercial flights in order to reduce travel time and costs while improving regional connectivity.
The appeal further called for reopening the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor as an important confidence-building measure. It also sought the opening of Sharada Peeth in Pakistan's Neelum Valley, a significant religious site for Kashmiri Pandits, and requested easier access to religious and cultural heritage sites located on both sides of the border.
The Indian signatories included National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti, Rashtriya Janata Dal Member of Parliament Manoj Jha, and former Trinamool Congress minister and current AJUP leader Humayun Kabir. The Pakistani signatories included former Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, diplomat Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, National Assembly member Isphanyar Bhandara, and nuclear physicist and author Pervez Hoodbhoy.
In the concluding appeal, the signatories urged the Prime Ministers of both countries to listen to the aspirations of ordinary citizens and choose engagement over isolation, dialogue over hostility and cooperation over confrontation. They stated that the future of South Asia should be defined by peace, prosperity and shared progress rather than division and conflict, describing the initiative as a collective call for renewed diplomatic engagement and lasting regional stability.
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