Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday, 2 July asserted that no one should object to India-Pakistan dialogue, arguing that the initiative is aimed squarely at improving relations between the two neighbouring nations. His remarks came in Srinagar in response to criticism of a joint letter signed by over 100 prominent citizens from both countries urging the two governments to revive bilateral talks.

What Abdullah Said

Abdullah framed the conflict in historical terms, noting that tensions between India and Pakistan are not new. “This conflict is 30 to 40 years old, and last year, it intensified after the Pahalgam attack. Now, the Prime Minister is being requested, through a letter, that the relations between the two countries should be improved. No one should have any objection to that,” he said.

He pointedly invoked the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to deflect criticism, noting that a senior RSS leader had recently advocated friendship between India and Pakistan. “When the RSS says this, no one objects, but when the leaders in J&K say the same thing, it becomes an issue,” he said. He added that the position echoed former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s oft-cited maxim: neighbours cannot be changed, only friends can.

The Letter and Its Signatories

The letter was coordinated by OP Shah, chairman of the New Delhi-based Centre for Peace and Progress, and carries the signatures of 61 Indians and 55 Pakistanis. It urges Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to take “meaningful and sustained steps towards restoring peace, normalcy, dialogue and cooperation in South Asia.”

Among the Indian signatories are former J&K Chief Ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, former RAW chief A S Dulat, Rajya Sabha MP Manoj Jha, former Union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar, and retired diplomats. Pakistani signatories include former Foreign Minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri and former diplomat Ashraf Jehangir Qazi, alongside civil society members.

The Case for Dialogue

Shah, speaking on the initiative, described the current state of India-Pakistan relations as “far from comfortable,” arguing that the impasse harms ordinary people across the subcontinent. According to Shah, peace and normal relations between the two countries are essential for the economic well-being of citizens on both sides, and any escalation toward conflict directly impacts livelihoods and development.

The letter’s core argument is that sustained engagement can create conditions for greater prosperity across the region — a position that notably aligns with views expressed within the Indian establishment itself, including, as Abdullah highlighted, within the RSS.

Context and What Comes Next

The appeal comes in the wake of the Pahalgam attack, which sharply escalated bilateral tensions last year. This is not the first such cross-border civil society push for dialogue — similar letters have been circulated during past periods of diplomatic freeze, including after the 2016 Uri attack and the 2019 Pulwama attack. Whether the Modi government responds to the letter remains to be seen; the Centre has not yet issued an official reaction.