Even as there looks no immediate headway towards deescalating tensions between South Asian nuclear neighbors, at least 50 politicians, former officials, and peace activists have come together urging India and Pakistan to attend to their differences and work for durable peace in the region, Yeni Safak reports. 

Indian peace activist Om Prakash Shah is planning to release compilations of 50 articles in the form of a book titled In Pursuit of Peace: Improving Indo-Pak Relations, in the Indian capital New Delhi on Saturday, requesting both countries to at least start talks to find solutions to their political issues.

The authors, who have contributed to the book include former Indian Vice President Hamid Ansari, former foreign minister Yashwant Sinha, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah, former Pakistani foreign minister Khurshid Mahmud Kasuri, and former information minister Javed Jabbar, among others.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency ahead of the release of the book, Shah said there was a general recognition on both sides to find a way to co-exist in a peaceful productive manner and to make sure that the differences do not spin out of control, especially given the developmental challenges faced by both countries.

"The main aim of this book is to deepen our mutual understanding of the different points of view in Pakistan and India and to speed up the process of dialogue, which I believe is an important tool for bridging the trust deficit between India and Pakistan," said Shah, who is working on improving Indo-Pakistan relations for the last three decades.

He said the book has taken the stock of Indo-Pak relations as both countries are approaching the 75th anniversary of their independence in August 2022.

Relations between India and Pakistan plummeted to a new low after Aug. 5, 2019, when India not only revoked the longstanding special status but also bifurcated the state of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting Islamabad to downgrade its diplomatic ties.