A FORMAL end to the war between the two countries has proved elusive for almost as long as Pakistan has existed. History was made on Friday as South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un held a summit meeting and committed their countries to a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula as well as talks to bring a formal end to the Korean War, which was halted by an armistice agreement in 1953. It remains to be seen if the ambitious goals will be realised, though at present it does appear that the momentum for talks in the region will continue. US President Donald Trump and the North Korean leader may meet in the near future at a summit that would be equally momentous as Friday’s events near the Korean Demilitarised Zone.

A frightening and tumultuous 2017, in which North Korea repeatedly tested missiles and threatened global mayhem and President Trump escalated rhetoric and sanctions against the state in an unprecedented manner, has turned into a season of hope in 2018. Certainly, hard reality lies behind the latest attempted detente between the two Koreas. President Trump’s campaign of so-called maximum pressure has likely inflicted a terrible toll on the Korean economy and its people, while China appears to have been alarmed by the possibility of conflict in the Korean Peninsula and the possible spread of nuclear weapons in the region. Yet, it was impossible not to be cheered by the sight of the two Korean leaders shaking hands, exchanging messages of warmth and friendship, and pledging to work towards a peaceful common future. A historic day rich in symbolism and Korean pomp and pageantry could help deepen the recent engagement and create a conducive atmosphere for talks across a range of issues. On the global stage, the inter-Korean summit was an irresistible source of positivity, goodwill and peaceful engagement at a time when much of the world is wracked by uncertainty, tensions and conflict.

Inevitably, a comparison between the renewed engagement between the two Koreas and the freeze in ties in the South Asian subcontinent will be made. The tensions and disputes between Pakistan and India are fundamentally different to the issues between the Koreas. Pakistan and India have forged very different and irreversible histories, whereas the Koreas seek unification. Yet, a shared history and the common dreams and aspirations of a people with enduring cultural and other similarities across India and Pakistan make the quest for normalisation and peace in this region the noblest of goals. The striking imagery of the Korean summit recalls the unprecedented hope and expectations created by the historic trip to Lahore of then Indian prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in 1999. It is time for the leaderships of India and Pakistan to once again tread the path of peace and friendship.

Published in Dawn, April 29th, 2018