India, Nov. 10 -- Can trade and people-to-people relationships survive prolonged political estrangement is a question worth our consideration?

Since Partition in 1947, India-Pakistan relations have been characterised by a persistent contradiction. Political disagreements, territorial disputes and security concerns have repeatedly interrupted economic and social relationships that geography, history and commercial complementarities would otherwise encourage.

The debate over restoring trade is hardly new. It has resurfaced after successive wars, diplomatic breakdowns and terrorist attacks, only to recede when political relations deteriorate. Yet the underlying economic argument remains relevant: two neighbouring economies, sharing a long ...