Photo Essay: Making Peace, One Trinket at a Time

This autumn, an ancient trade route that crosses the disputed Kashmiri border between India and Pakistan opened for the first time in 61 years. For Kashmir’s famed artisans, at least, it’s a rare sign of hope.

Bridging the gap: Trucks laden with apples and handicrafts became unlikely bearers of peace on Oct. 21 when an ancient trade route between India and Pakistan reopened after being closed 61 years ago, when the two countries broke free of the British Empire. Many hope the opening of the trade route, in the bitterly disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, will boost the economy on both sides of the Line of Control that divides the territory. Here, a truck from Pakistan-administered Kashmir crosses the newly reconstructed Aman Setu, or Peace Bridge, that leads into India-administered Kashmir.

Photo: TAUSEEF MUSTAFA/AFP/Getty Images

Preeti Aroon was copy chief at Foreign Policy from 2009 to 2016 and was an FP assistant editor from 2007 to 2009. Twitter: @pjaroonFP

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