117 Personalities from India and Pakistan Urge Dialogue Over Confrontation for Regional Peace

To improve India-Pakistan relations, 117 personalities from both countries have written to PM Modi and Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif. It says choose the path of dialogue, not confrontation, so that there is an atmosphere of peace and development in South Asia. These 117 personalities include former officials, social and political figures. The letter has been signed by 61 people, including former Jammu and Kashmir CM Farooq Abdullah, Mehbooba Mufti, and RJD MP Manoj Jha, on behalf of India, and 56 people, including former Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, on behalf of Pakistan. The initiative comes at a time when relations between India and Pakistan have been strained in recent months. They say that the ever-increasing hostilities are affecting the development of both countries, regional stability, and the interests of civilians. On 25 December 2015, PM Narendra Modi visited Lahore to meet Nawaz Sharif. Thereafter, bilateral talks have stopped after the 2 January 2016 Pathankot terror attack. On 5 August 2019, India and Pakistan agreed to re-engage on the ceasefire agreement.