Delhi dialogue renews Pak-India peace push, demands restoration of Kashmir’s rights
Monitoring Desk
NEW DELHI: A high-profile Indo-Pak dialogue conference held in New Delhi has reignited calls for political engagement, restoration of occupied Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional rights, and institutionalized peace efforts between India and Pakistan.
Organised by the Centre for Peace and Progress, led by O.P. Shah, the conference brought together notable figures including former Indian diplomat Mani Shankar Aiyar, Pakistan’s former Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri, Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Kapil Kak, ANC leader Muzaffar Shah, NC’s Tanvir Sadiq, and other peace advocates from both sides of the border.
Muzaffar Shah, Senior Vice President of the Awami National Conference, strongly emphasized the demand for the restoration of Articles 370 and 35A, and full statehood for occupied Jammu and Kashmir. “The phrase ‘at an appropriate time’ must be dropped. Indian Supreme Court is answerable to the people of India and the people of Kashmir,” Shah declared, stressing that Kashmiris are the principal sufferers and must be central to any dialogue process.
Mani Shankar Aiyar invoked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s own words—“the time for wars is over”—to highlight the contradiction in India’s handling of Kashmir. “Apply that mantra at home first,” he urged, calling for internal political dialogue and reconciliation.
From Pakistan, Khurshid Kasuri warned of the catastrophic risks of sustained hostility between two nuclear powers. “There is no alternative to dialogue. Let people-to-people contact resume. The political leadership must lead from the front,” he said.
Kapil Kak acknowledged that while backchannel communications never stopped, the time had come for bold political steps and structured peace processes. NC’s Tanvir Sadiq condemned the political repression in IOJK, saying, “Even peaceful protests for statehood are not allowed. Dialogue is the way forward.”
Other participants included Mohammad Ashraf Qazi, Beena Sarwar, Ambassador Raghavan, MM Ansari, Sajjad Hussain Kargili, and Firoz Bakht, many of whom joined virtually. The gathering ended with a shared message: there can be no military solution to Indo-Pak tensions. Only sustained dialogue, political courage, and constitutional justice—centered on the aspirations of Kashmiris—can ensure lasting peace in the region.
