A few days ago, my friend sent me an Instagram video of a Pakistani girl visiting India. Knowing my curiosity about Pakistan, especially when it comes to nationals visiting each other’s countries, she thought I would find it interesting. In the video, the Pakistani girl was visibly fascinated by the endless street food options in India, particularly the vegetarian choices. As she compared the streets of Amritsar with those of her hometown, she couldn’t help but notice their striking similarities. The excitement on her face was impeccable. Soon after, I came across another video of a different Pakistani girl visiting India. When I compared their experiences, I was surprised to find they were almost similar, based on their social media shares. This made me wonder: would I experience the same feelings if I were to visit Pakistan someday? Would I feel overwhelmed walking through the streets of Karachi or Lahore, contemplating how this used to be one land?
Both countries share the same culture, the same folk tales, and a common struggle for independence. The partition was the most tragic thing that happened to both countries. The repercussions of that tragedy are still present in the form of tense relations between these two countries I remember the time in my first year of college when Atif Aslam performed at SRCC’s annual cultural fest. Despite the pouring rain, students didn’t miss the show – such was the charisma of this Pakistani singer in India. This love extends to Pakistani dramas as well, with my friends constantly recommending them to each other. Yet, despite this cultural appreciation, Pakistani artists are no longer performing or working in the Indian industry.
Something has always troubled me: since childhood, we’ve been exposed to a negative portrayal of Pakistan as a troublesome neighbor. We grew up reciting playground rhymes like ‘Kapil Dev ne maara chakka, Pakistan ka udd gya Kachcha.’ I never understood why Pakistan was criticized in everything, or why India-Pakistan cricket matches stirred more enthusiasm than any other international match. The idealist in me always tried to see the good side until reality set in. While we’re taught to be the bigger person, I eventually realized that diplomatic efforts must work both ways.
Since Partition, India and Pakistan have fought three wars and faced numerous challenges – border skirmishes, water disputes, and terrorist attacks. Yet, India has consistently attempted to normalize relations. We provided relief assistance during Pakistan’s 2005 earthquake and 2010 floods. India granted Most Favored Nation (MFN) status to Pakistan in 1996 following the WTO’s formation. We’ve engaged in peace talks through various summits – the 1972 Shimla summit, the 1999 Lahore summit, and the 2001 Agra summit – and through regional organizations like SAARC. This is no secret that Pakistan’s governance system has always been heavily influenced by its military and non-state actors. Despite India’s efforts to normalize tensions, Pakistan’s response has been lacking. It never reciprocated the MFN status. More critically, India faced the URI and Pulwama terrorist attacks in 2016 and 2019, respectively, which Pakistan never condemned. India’s strong reaction to these attacks affected both political relations and cultural exchanges. Pakistani artists were banned in 2016, the MFN status was revoked, SAARC meetings were boycotted, and the Balakot air strike was conducted. Being the bigger person comes at a cost. A strong state must effectively use smart power, knowing when to employ soft power and when circumstances demand harder measures. These actions have strained India-Pakistan relations, with consequences particularly severe for Pakistan. SAARC is now defunct, and Pakistan cut off trade ties with India in 2019. Currently, Pakistan faces a major economic crisis and its neighbor (India) is nowhere to help.
After witnessing these developments, even my idealistic side hesitates to trust Pakistan. To gauge public sentiment, I conducted a small survey of 15 people regarding the recent cricket diplomacy. I wanted to see how others feel about this situation. The sample is of mere 15 people but it was enough for me to understand the viewpoint towards Pakistan. Pakistani Cricket team came to India to participate in the 2023 ODI Cricket World Cup. The Pakistani players received a warm welcome from the Indians. I was so delighted to see this. I felt that finally there is some initiative by Pakistan and maybe it can be the start of the normalization of relations between both Countries. But BCCI refused to send Indian players to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy 2025. So I asked my friends whether India did right or not. Out of 15 people, there were only 4 who thought that India should have sent its cricket team to Pakistan. The rest of the 11 people who said Yes, India did the right thing had one common reason for this i.e. security reasons.
Initially, I believed India should reciprocate Pakistan’s initiative, similar to how the Bombay High Court dismissed the plea to ban Pakistani artists in 2024. However, given Pakistan’s current economic conditions and the presence of active non-state actors, ensuring player safety would be challenging. Aristotle’s Golden Mean seems most appropriate here – holding the Champions Trophy in a neutral venue (UAE) appears to be the wisest decision given the current political climate. This survey revealed genuine security apprehensions about Pakistan. It made me question whether I would feel the same sense of freedom and security that Pakistani vloggers experienced in India if I were to visit Pakistan. I know it will completely depend on my personal experience. But there will be definitely a hesitation in my mind along with the excitement.
It is high time that there should be some confidence-building measures between both countries. India is firmly taking a stand for its security. It has been soft on Pakistan for years. It should be Pakistan that should initiate and invest in bilateral relations between the both nations. Because I am very sure India will definitely retaliate to genuine efforts by Pakistan. There are many forthcoming challenges both the countries will face in future which will require their cooperation like Climate Change affecting the flow and level of rivers water shared by both the countries. Today’s efforts towards normalizing the relations will be a stepping stone for the future Cooperation on the common issues. If not now, then the future of the relations between both nations is headed to a slippery slope which will be very difficult to resolve.
As excitedly I watched the Pakistani Vlogger’s videos it acted as glimpses of what could be if both nations commit to genuine confidence-building measures. Until then, my dream of freely exploring the streets of Lahore or Karachi, feeling as secure as those vloggers did in India, remains just that – a dream tinged with both hope and hesitation. With the substantial efforts towards normalization we can transform these fleeting moments of connection into lasting bridges between our nations, ensuring that the shared heritage we celebrate in viral videos becomes the foundation for a more cooperative future.