Bridal show to pitch peace between Pakistan, India

As the heads of India and Pakistan prepare for a meeting in New York that is expected to boost peace talks, a wedding show back home is propelling people-to-people contact — often cited by analysts as the bulwark of any permanent peace deal.

In its sixth year, Bridal Asia is more an India-Pakistan bonhomie forum than deal-snapping trade fair. “We believe in people and spreading love between them,” smiled Divya Gurwara, who has got a 40-member delegation from across the border at her three-day exhibition at the Indian capital’s Taj Palace Hotel.

“The commerce happens,” Gurwara said. Among those participating are Pakistani fashion designers Faiza Samee, Nilofer Shahid and Shehla, and male models Mikaal Zulfikar, Nael Ahmed, Nomi Qamar and Usmaan Khan. There’s even a designer of Pakistani origin from London — Raishma. The rest of the 40 are part of the entourages of these designers and models…