Former Indian spymaster Amarjit Singh Dulat has claimed that well-known Pakistani and Indian nationals are among the signatories of a letter addressed to Indian Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and his Pakistan counterpart Shehbaz Sharif for an end to hostilities between the two countries.
Speaking on the letter, signed by over 100 citizens from both countries, ex- Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) chief Dulat said that the initiative was organised by peace activist OP Shah, a figure he described as someone who had spent years working on India-Pakistan peace.
He said that Shah had called him from Srinagar to inform him that Kashmiri leaders were also backing the letter.
“It’s not only Kashmiris or Indians who have contributed or signed that letter, but there are Pakistanis as well and well-known Pakistanis,” Dulat said, naming former Pakistani foreign minister Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and former Pakistan High Commissioner to India Ashraf Jahangir Qazi among the signatories.
He added that he agreed to sign because Jammu & Kashmir National Conference President Farooq Abdullah was also among the signatories, noting that regional atmosphere also showed signs of improvement following statements by Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders and a recent track-two conference in Colombo attended by India’s National General Secretary Ram Madhav.
Responding to whether letters or backchannel trust must come first, Dulat stated, “I don’t think this letter that we have written or we have put our signatures to or whatever is going to make that much difference. It’s only a question of adding to a sentiment which we feel there is now.”
The letter comes amid growing calls for peace between the nuclear-armed neighbours as Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq also urges Islamabad and New Delhi to resume bilateral peace talks.
During a public address, he drew a parallel to diplomatic engagement between the United States (US) and Iran, stating, “If Iran and America can come to the table, then India and Pakistan can also come to the table. We remain hopeful. In that same context, I have also appealed to the Indian leadership to adopt the path of dialogue because problems are never resolved through wars; issues are only resolved through talks.”
Bilateral ties have remained frozen since India abrogated Articles 370 and 35A of its constitution in 2019, stripping occupied Kashmir of its special status.
Relations deteriorated further following Indian military aggression in May 2025, which met a response when Pakistan downed Indian fighter jets and targeted several Indian military installations in cross-border retaliatory strikes.
