Abstract:
In recognition of the crucial role of people-to-people contact through
friendly exchanges and cultural relations for the promotion of peace and
normalisation, Pakistan and India agreed to include these aspects as one
of the eight subjects for the Composite Dialogue and Peace Process
initiated in 2004. Since then, the two countries have been able to make
impressive progress in this area, leading to an expansion in people-topeople contacts through the exchange of visits by performing artists,
poets, lawyers, students, journalists, parliamentarians, jurists,
businessmen and writers. The enhanced level of people-to-people contact
has also made important contribution to the relaxation in the visa regime,
strengthening of peace constituencies in both the countries, the promotion
of physical connectivity and enhancement of bilateral trade. However,
much more can and should be done in this direction, as progress in this
area directly contributes to the narrowing down of the trust deficit and
removal of misperceptions in the psyche of the people of Pakistan and
India. These objectives are not only essential for the achievement of
durable peace through result-oriented and productive talks to which both
countries are committed under the peace process, but will serve the longterm national security interests of Pakistan, as friendly exchanges and
cultural relations directly contribute to the promotion of stability and
prosperity in the South Asian region. This paper, while taking stock of the
gains already made by Pakistan and India during the last ten years of
bilateral talks under the peace process, discusses the obstacles that
impede further progress in this area, and makes an attempt to identify further areas for cooperation. The paper concludes that friendly exchanges cannot be fully developed without simultaneously trying to
resolve the core issues.
