The ceasefire between India and Pakistan agreed over the weekend is the fruit of multiple international factors, as explained by the Pakistani leadership. It is noteworthy that China has played an active role in stabilizing the situation by promoting dialogue.

Beijing has kept contact with the two sides, and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly stressed the need for diplomatic and political dialogue to solving tough issues while denouncing an April 22 terrorist attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in talks with Pakistan and Indian officials, urged diplomatic resolution of all disputes, a permanent ceasefire and better cooperation between the two South Asian neighbors.

In retrospect, it is a pity that Pakistan and India came dangerously close to a flashpoint. Minor miscalculations carry the weight of catastrophe. Violations of international borders, missile threats against cities and military installations have endangered the entire South Asian region.

Mutual accusations about early violations, on May 11, of the fragile ceasefire cannot stop the general trend for lasting truce, especially as global attention has turned toward the region, notably among members of the BRICS group which have contributed to the truce.

It is ironic that the United States rushed to claim credit for the India-Pakistan truce, after initially brushing off the escalating tension of the two nuclear powers as “none of our business”. However, their efforts for South Asian peace should be welcomed.

Yet, trust is lacking between Pakistan and India, a dire situation wherein even a single miscalculation could ignite a conflict that neither side can afford. It is time for renewed dialogue and deeper public engagement. Peace in South Asia cannot survive without face-to-face diplomacy and people-to-people contact.

As India and Pakistan are both members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the multilateral mechanism can be tapped to turn the truce into lasting peace between the two sides and help them iron out conflicting claims.

Behind the scenes, a critical yet unresolved matter is reappearing: the future of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT). Water specialists and policymakers have become more worried about India's latest unilateral suspension of treaty duties in blocking the water flow, releasing huge amount of water suddenly without notice, and closing the locks again. Such unilateral moves jeopardize the sensitive water balance between the two neighbors.

Some people in both countries are hoping that apart from the SCO, the US could be able to help so as to provide India an opportunity to reinstate and implement the water treaty.

Originally signed in 1960 with help from the World Bank, the IWT has been stated as one of the most successful water-sharing agreements internationally, surviving a couple of wars and border conflicts. The treaty gave India control of the eastern rivers — Ravi, Beas and Sutlej — of the Indus basin, while Pakistan had control over three western rivers — Indus, Jhelum and Chenab.

However, this balance is becoming fragile, especially following the unwillingness of World Bank President Ajay Banga to intervene to get India’s unilateral suspension of the IWT lifted.

Disruption in IWT implementation risks triggering humanitarian disaster for countless number of people, while also harming the environment. Pakistan depends on the western rivers for irrigation, drinking water, and for hydropower. New Delhi’s suspension of the treaty might worsen mutual distrust and even ignite bigger instability — one that might increase uncontrollably in an already tense area.

On the diplomatic front, there is need for a full ceasefire, restoration of hotlines, and a return to the 2003 Line of Control agreement as critical first steps. Embassies must be reactivated in both capitals, and comprehensive talks must resume — talks that include Kashmiris and are rooted in the framework of UN resolutions, and which could possibly involve engagement of other SCO members led by China.

Public diplomacy between India and Pakistan, too, has to be brought back to life. Access to visas for students, journalists, artists and members of civil society has the ability to make space for empathy. What the media houses in both nations need is cooperation, not confrontation. And a still hobbled economy needs trade, not tension. Shared problems — water, energy, climate — demand shared solutions, not standoffs.

The media's role is pivotal. Social media channels, while soothing feelings of different sides, should refuse to be a weapon of war. Where news is noise and headlines spark animosity, peace slips away. It is not a luxury anymore to report responsibly, it is a demand of the tense times.

Yet none of these efforts will matter without intent. Real, visible political will works. The youth of both Pakistan and India want jobs, education, and a future beyond gunpowder and grief. They are not asking for war — they are asking for clean air to breathe and jobs, as well as trade and exchanges, borders that can be crossed easily, and peace to live with.

History shows that dialogue always follows war. The wiser move is to talk before the blood is spilled. War destroys. Peace, when genuine, delivers prosperity, dignity, and hope.

Now is the moment to carry out the people’s wish for peace.

The writer is Peshawar-based political analyst and Secretary General of Pakistan China Friendship Association, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chapter. 

The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.