SRINAGAR — Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the chief preacher of Kashmir on Wednesday said dialogue between India and Pakistan was not only desirable but necessary for lasting peace in the region.
Mirwaiz said he signed a letter, coordinated by OP Shah, chairman of the Centre for Peace and Progress, urging the two countries to engage in bilateral talks.
The June 30 letter, signed by 61 Indians and 55 Pakistanis, said “sustained engagement and dialogue remain the only viable path to resolving differences”.
Mirwaiz said he signed the letter because he believes dialogue between India and Pakistan is not only desirable but necessary for peace in the region and for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Appreciating Shah’s initiative, he said at a time when official engagement remains limited, such civil society initiatives are important because they keep alive the hope for peace, dignity, connectivity and a future free from hostility.
He said his appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is to resume meaningful engagement, restore diplomatic and people-to-people ties, and address all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, through dialogue, wisdom and statesmanship.
“This appeal is not about taking sides. It is about placing the welfare and future of nearly two billion people above conflict and confrontation. The people of Jammu and Kashmir have suffered enough and deserve peace, closure, justice, and a dignified resolution,” Mirwaiz added.
More than 100 prominent citizens, including former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, from India and Pakistan, have urged Prime Ministers Modi and Sharif to revive bilateral dialogue and restore normal ties.
Among the signatories are former RAW chief A S Dulat, Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, former diplomat Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, former Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, besides several retired diplomats and civil society members.
The letter urged both governments to take “meaningful and sustained steps towards restoring peace, normalcy, dialogue and cooperation in South Asia”. — (PTI)