Beyond hawks and doves

Influential voices in Pakistan and India, including two recent books, serve as advocates for cross-border peace and hope that post-elections, the new government will respond to these friendly overture

When Sikh pilgrims from India were visiting Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan to celebrate Baisakhi recently, Maryam Nawaz Sharif—chief minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province—joined them for a meal in the langar hall of the gurudwara. On this occasion, she made a public statement about opening doors of friendship between neighbours. Recalling her ancestral roots in Jatti Umra, a village near Amritsar in Indian Punjab, and her father Nawaz Sharif’s commitment to cross-border dialogue, she made a strong emotional appeal.

News reports indicate that her uncle Shehbaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan, has been approached by business leaders to initiate trade talks