The release of 19 Pakistani prisoners who were returned to their home nation via the Attari-Wagah border is a welcome move that shall send positive vibes across the region.
The said prisoners had been put in jails in India for a range of offences including espionage to staying in India illegally, reports said. In recent times, the two countries boosted their efforts towards releasing prisoners belonging to the other nation.
Pakistan had last month released 60 Indian prisoners on 30 April. This included 55 fishermen. Many of those released had already over-lived their sentence in Pakistan. In that light, India had sent a verbal note to Pakistan on 9 April urging for immediate release and repatriation of Indian prisoners.
This welcome gesture should be followed up with other similar confidence building measures. Like the Cross LoC trade that was recently suspended should be resumed and the Srinagar Muzaffarabad bus service should also be restarted so that the people across the border feel a sigh of relief. The world dynamics in light of the latest economic developments around the globe has changed drastically.
So the two neighbouring countries India and Pakistan must sense the urgency and need for this change with the changing times. Rigidity, stubbornness, and egoistic approach shall never pay any dividends.
This kind of attitude need to be changed by addressing each other’s concerns.
Pakistan must stop its soil from being used by the non state actors who have proven disastrous for their own country. Need of the hour is that peace should be given a chance so that the region witnesses a new era of development and prosperity.