Pakistan Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Ahmad Khan believes there is still hope for peace between India and Pakistan despite the missed opportunity following Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s historic 1999 Lahore visit.
Speaking on the eve of Vajpayee’s 100th birth anniversary, Khan emphasized the need to revisit the peace efforts initiated during Vajpayee’s tenure as Indian Prime Minister.
In February 1999, Vajpayee’s groundbreaking “bus yatra” to Lahore culminated in the Lahore Declaration, signed with Pakistan’s then-premier Nawaz Sharif, signaling a new chapter in bilateral relations. However, the progress was derailed by the Kargil conflict just months later.
“Vajpayee’s visit was a defining moment. Though the chance was missed, it’s time to try again,” said Khan, a senior member of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). He expressed optimism about peace talks under India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who shares Vajpayee’s vision, and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Nawaz Sharif’s brother.
Khan stressed that the region’s prosperity depends on peace, free trade, and open borders. “Peace is not just desirable—it’s essential for regional growth and stability,” he remarked.
Mohammad Mehdi, another senior PML-N leader, echoed this sentiment, calling Vajpayee’s Lahore visit historic. Mehdi noted that the visit had raised hopes for lasting peace, especially as it followed nuclear tests conducted by both nations in May 1998.
“There was real excitement during Vajpayee’s visit. His statement acknowledging Pakistan’s reality and the need to move forward gave hope,” Mehdi said. However, he lamented that the Kargil conflict derailed these efforts.
