A day after 116 prominent politicians, former senior diplomats and civil society leaders from India and Pakistan urged prime ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif to work towards normalising relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, Dal Khalsa described the initiative as “a step in the right direction at the right time."
Addressing the media here on Thursday, Dal Khalsa leader Kanwar Pal Singh expressed hope that better sense would prevail on both sides. He welcomed the letter’s appeal for the reopening of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor.
He also urged both governments to reopen the Attari-Wagah border to facilitate pilgrimage, trade and economic growth in the region.
The open letter, signed by 116 prominent personalities — 61 from India and 55 from Pakistan — called for the immediate resumption of dialogue, the reopening of trade and transport links and the expansion of people-to-people relations.
Among the signatories are moderate separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, two former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, and a former chief of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), who headed the Kashmir Division in the Prime Minister’s Office during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government.
Kanwar Pal Singh noted that the signatories had also called for discussions on Jammu and Kashmir, including revisiting the framework negotiated between 2004 and 2007, along with measures aimed at de-escalation and demilitarisation. He said the appeal assumes significance in the backdrop of the Central Government’s abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
Urging a change in India’s approach towards Pakistan, Kanwar Pal Singh said the two countries should work to end the prevailing tensions and gradually reduce hostilities along the Punjab border.
He maintained that lasting stability and prosperity in South Asia depend on peaceful relations between India and Pakistan. He added that peace in Punjab is closely linked to improved ties between the two countries and expressed hope that the state would continue to play a significant role in promoting regional harmony.
