The letter has been signed by 61 people from India and 56 from Pakistan. Among the Indian signatories are Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti and Manoj Jha, while former foreign minister Khurshid Mahmood Kasuri is among the Pakistani signatories.

What they want

The letter calls for the resumption of bilateral dialogue on all major issues, including Jammu and Kashmir. It also urges both governments to reduce military tensions, restore people-to-people contact, and revive cultural and academic exchanges that have been restricted in recent years.

The signatories have also asked for the return of normal cricket and other sports ties, the reopening of air services, easier visa access, reappointment of High Commissioners, and the reopening of bus links, the Kartarpur Corridor and the Attari-Wagah border. They also want bilateral trade to resume.

Why now

The appeal comes amid renewed strain in India-Pakistan relations in recent months. The writers say continued hostility is hurting peace, regional stability and economic development, while ordinary citizens are bearing the cost of the freeze in ties.

They argue that both governments should move away from confrontation and create a climate that allows contact, trade and negotiation to restart. The letter frames dialogue not as a concession, but as a practical step toward reducing long-running tensions.

Bigger context

Bilateral talks have been largely stalled since the Pathankot terror attack in January 2016. Relations deteriorated further after India revoked Article 370 in August 2019, followed by Pakistan suspending dialogue and downgrading diplomatic ties.

Since then, diplomatic, travel, sporting and trade links have remained restricted or partially frozen, with only limited engagement continuing through multilateral forums and crisis management channels. The letter is essentially a public push to reverse that drift.