Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee travelled to Lahore in February 1999 aboard a bus from Amritsar, marking a rare moment of diplomatic solidarity and moving beyond years of hostility between India and Pakistan. More than two decades later, those days are being recalled through the memories of those who were closest to the process, including Vajpayee's media adviser, Ashok Kumar Tandon.
Speaking to NDTV, Tandon, a former special correspondent of the Press Trust of India (PTI) and later Vajpayee's media adviser, recalled a moment that captured the unusual political resonance Vajpayee achieved in Pakistan. After Vajpayee addressed a gathering at the Governor's House in Lahore, Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif turned to him and said: "Vajpayee ji, now you can win elections in Pakistan too."
Tandon recalled that Vajpayee's address in Lahore was not directed only at political leaders or officials. Speaking from the lawns of the Governor's House, Vajpayee addressed the people of Pakistan directly.
"Look, we are neighbours; we can change friends, but we cannot change neighbours," Vajpayee told the audience.
Vajpayee travelled by bus from Amritsar to Lahore, inaugurating the first direct bus service between India and Pakistan. The delegation accompanying him included actor Dev Anand, lyricist Javed Akhtar and former Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev.
"It was undertaken as part of an effort to establish peace with Pakistan," Tandon wrote in an earlier article recalling the journey. "The goal of peace with Pakistan was very close to his heart."
On his arrival in Lahore, Vajpayee set the tone with a carefully worded statement. "I bring the goodwill and hope of my fellow Indians who seek abiding peace and harmony with Pakistan," he said. "I am conscious that this is a defining moment in South Asian history and I hope we will be able to rise to the challenge."
The visit was widely described at the time as the dawn of a new era in India-Pakistan relations. Images of Vajpayee embracing Nawaz Sharif became emblematic of that brief period of optimism.
Formal talks between the two Prime Ministers followed, culminating in the signing of the Lahore Declaration. The agreement committed both sides to intensify efforts to resolve issues through dialogue and to take steps to reduce the risk of accidental or unauthorised use of nuclear weapons which was a critical concern less than a year after both countries conducted nuclear tests.
Despite all the efforts, the optimism generated in Lahore proved fragile. Within months, the Pakistan Army launched a covert operation in the Kargil sector of Jammu and Kashmir, leading to a limited but intense conflict that India ultimately won.
