117 Citizens Urge PMs Modi, Sharif To Reinstate High Commissioners
On Tuesday, a group of 117 prominent citizens from India and Pakistan issued an open letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging them to end continued hostility and reinstate High Commissioners in New Delhi and Islamabad. Issued by the Centre for Peace and Progress, the letter called for the restoration of full diplomatic relations, the resumption of normal visa services, and the reopening of airspace.
The signatories highlighted that India and Pakistan together house nearly one-fifth of humanity, with a large proportion of the population being young. The letter stated that the people of both nations deserve a future defined by peace, development, connectivity, and cooperation, rather than perpetual mistrust and confrontation. It noted that decades of estrangement have hindered collective potential and imposed significant social, economic, and human costs.
Among the 61 signatories from India are National Conference chief Dr. Farooq Abdullah, RJD MP Manoj Jha, former TMC minister and current AJUP leader Humayun Kabir, PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, and separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
The 56 Pakistani signatories include former Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, diplomat Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, National Assembly member Isphanyar Bhandara, and nuclear physicist and author Pervez Hoodbhoy.
The open letter suggested several confidence-building measures, including reopening a comprehensive bilateral dialogue on all outstanding issues. This includes discussions on Jammu and Kashmir, revisiting the framework negotiated between 2004 and 2007, and taking steps towards demilitarisation and de-escalation to address the legitimate security concerns of both countries.
Additionally, the group called for fully reopening the Attari-Wagah land border for trade and travel, resuming the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, and reopening airspace for commercial airlines to reduce travel costs and improve connectivity.
To promote religious and cultural access, the signatories urged the reopening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor and the Sharada Peeth in Pakistan’s Neelum Valley, alongside facilitating visits to other religious and cultural heritage sites on both sides of the border.
