Lahore, Dec 24: “Although the opportunity was missed, we should try again,” said Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan, reflecting on Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s 1999 ‘bus yatra,’ a bold initiative by the then Indian Prime Minister aimed at improving India-Pakistan relations.
Vajpayee made a historic bus ride to Lahore on February 19, 1999, and met with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, where the two leaders signed the Lahore Declaration. This agreement was seen as a breakthrough for peace between the two nations. However, just months later, Pakistani forces’ intrusion led to the Kargil War, halting the peace process.
As Vajpayee’s 100th birth anniversary approaches on Wednesday, Khan, a senior member of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), believes that peace between India and Pakistan is still possible. “With Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who follows Vajpayee’s vision, leading India, and Shehbaz Sharif, Nawaz’s brother, in charge of Pakistan, there is a real possibility of restarting the peace process,” Khan remarked. He emphasized that the region’s future depends on fostering free trade and unrestricted movement between the countries, asserting that peace is not only a desirable idea but a necessity for growth and prosperity.
Mohammad Mehdi, another senior PML-N leader from Punjab, described Vajpayee’s visit as a historic moment. He suggested that lasting peace could have followed if not for the Kargil conflict. “The visit came shortly after both India and Pakistan became nuclear powers, and the Western media closely followed Vajpayee’s visit,” Mehdi recalled. “There was excitement within PML-N when Vajpayee arrived. His speech, declaring ‘Pakistan is a reality, and both countries now need to move forward and leave the past behind,’ offered hope to many.”
However, the subsequent Kargil conflict dashed the peace efforts. Mehdi also pointed out that Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) organized protests during Vajpayee’s visit, with some even attacking the Turkish ambassador’s car near Lahore Fort, mistakenly believing it was part of the Indian delegation. Many believe these protests were orchestrated by the military under General Pervez Musharraf’s leadership.
Mehdi remains optimistic about the possibility of back-channel talks between India and Pakistan, despite the current low point in bilateral relations. “Though both countries are currently without ambassadors in each other’s capitals, businesses on both sides are eager to restore ties to boost trade and open up shorter routes through Pakistan to Central Asia and Europe,” he said.
Brigadier (retd.) Farooq Hameed, a political expert, believes the failure of the peace initiative was due to Nawaz Sharif not involving the powerful Pakistani military in the process. “Had Nawaz consulted the military before Vajpayee’s visit, the chances of a successful peace process would have been higher,” Hameed said. He pointed out that Nawaz Sharif has repeatedly shown interest in improving relations with India, including his desire to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi after returning to Pakistan last year. However, he noted that Nawaz’s younger brother, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, has not expressed similar intentions recently.
Hameed also emphasized the challenges posed by terrorism, which continues to be a major obstacle to reconciliation. “India has frequently accused Pakistan of supporting terrorism, while Pakistan now blames India for terror attacks in Balochistan,” he said.
Despite these hurdles, Hameed remained hopeful, stating that most Pakistanis are not anti-India, and unlike in India, Pakistani politicians do not need to criticize India to win elections.
