By Shezhad H. Qazi, June 29, 2015, published in Foreign Policy

Soldiers From India (L) And Pakistan (R) Perform The Elaborate Daily Flag-Lowering Ceremony May 30, 2002 At The Wagah Border Post Near the Pakistani City Of Lahore. Pakistan And India Are Locked In A Tense Border Standoff And Have Amassed Nearly A Million Soldiers Near The 160-Mile Line Of Control In Kashmir. The Loc Has Been The Defacto Border Between The Two Nuclear Powers Since The End Of Their First War In 1948. (Photo By Visual News/Getty Images)

Soldiers From India (L) And Pakistan (R) Perform The Elaborate Daily Flag-Lowering Ceremony May 30, 2002 At The Wagah Border Post Near the Pakistani City Of Lahore. Pakistan And India Are Locked In A Tense Border Standoff And Have Amassed Nearly A Million Soldiers Near The 160-Mile Line Of Control In Kashmir. The Loc Has Been The Defacto Border Between The Two Nuclear Powers Since The End Of Their First War In 1948. (Photo By Visual News/Getty Images)

The war of words between India and Pakistan escalated again recently, making headlines around the world and ultimately prompting an intervention by Secretary of State John Kerry last week. In May, Pakistan’s military top brass and defense minister accused Indian intelligence agency RAW of instigating terrorism within Pakistan. Matters heated up further when India’s defense minister publicly endorsed a policy of using militant proxies to counter Pakistan sponsoring anti-Indian jihadi groups, and climaxed when Prime Minister Modi lashed out against Pakistan during a historic visit to Bangladesh, blaming it of promoting terrorism and creating “nuisances” for India. With this backdrop, India’s hot pursuit of rebels into Myanmar was widely seen as an aggressive message to Pakistan to rethink harboring militants and elicited a tough response from Islamabad.

This bout is the latest in a string of events that have characterized deteriorating relations between India and Pakistan since last year when foreign secretary-level talks were cancelled. But the hardline positions taken by decision makers in both countries are in sharp contrast to the desires of their people, who for years have widely supported establishing better relations and engagement across a variety of mechanisms to foster peace.

Acrimony at the official level has undoubtedly colored perceptions of the general public in both countries, and created a contentious climate. According to Pew’s 2014 Global Attitudes poll, over seven in ten Indians and Pakistanis hold unfavorable views of the other country. Moreover, multiple wars, years of the proxy conflicts, and the looming threat of nuclear annihilation has also instituted a deep sense of insecurity and mistrust among them. As a result, 51 percent of Pakistanis say India is the greatest threat facing their country, and three-fifths rate the risk as very serious. Attitudes are similar across the border, where 47 percent see Pakistan as their chief security risk, with four-fifths classifying the threat from Pakistan as very serious.

But the most remarkable finding is that despite these negative perceptions, the desire for peace runs deep among Indians and Pakistanis, who want better relations and increased dialogue. Just under two in three (64 percent) Indians and seven in ten (69 percent) Pakistanis said it was important to improve bilateral ties in national surveys conducted in 2014 and 2013, respectively. Moreover, a majority of Indians (53 percent) and Pakistanis (76 percent) also favored more talks to reduce tensions. In fact Indians were willing to go even further, with most (77 percent) agreeing in a separate 2013 poll that as the larger power India should take the first step in peace initiatives.

Read the full article here.