At least 117 individuals from India and Pakistan, in a joint open letter, on Wednesday (July 1, 2026) asked Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan to re-open bilateral dialogue, resume discussions on J&K, demilitarise and de-escalate for a lasting peace in the region. The initiative of the joint letter, addressed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif, was spearheaded by O.P. Shah, who is chairman of the Centre for Peace and Progress. The joint letter called upon India and Pakistan to reopen comprehensive bilateral dialogue on all outstanding issues. “Resume discussions on Jammu and Kashmir, including revisiting the framework negotiated between 2004 and 2007. Take steps towards demilitarisation and de-escalation, to create lasting peace in the region. Address legitimate security concerns of both countries,” reads the letter. It called upon the governments of the two countries “to take meaningful and sustained steps towards restoring peace, normalcy, dialogue and cooperation in South Asia.” “We believe that sustained engagement and dialogue remain the only viable path to resolving differences and building a stable and prosperous region,” …