New Delhi, March 3 (PTI) - A collective of 59 Nobel laureates has issued a fervent plea to the Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan, urging them to "defuse the escalating tensions" before they spiral into a full-blown war, as disclosed in a statement on Sunday.

A letter signed by the Nobel laureates, organized under the banner of Laureates and Leaders for Children, an initiative championed by India's Nobel Peace laureate Satyarthi, was formally presented to the Permanent Representatives of India and Pakistan to the United Nations on Saturday.

"In the best interest of our children, we, the Laureates and Leaders for Children, implore Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan to exhibit prudent leadership and exercise immediate restraint in this critical moment, to avert any progression towards a full-scale conflict," reads the collective appeal, as per the statement from Satyarthi's office.

The statement emphasizes, "There is no room for violence, extremism, and terrorism in a civilized world. This scourge must be eradicated through tangible and time-sensitive measures."

"We emphasize that children do not instigate wars but endure their most severe repercussions. Hence, we beseech the two Prime Ministers, religious institutions, media, youth, and the populace of both India and Pakistan to collaborate towards reinstating peace in the region with utmost urgency," it further states.

Among the Nobel Laureates endorsing this call to action are Leymah Gbowee, Shirin Ebadi, Tawakkol Karman, Malala Yousafzai, Muhammad Yunus, Jos Ramos-Horta, Edvard Ingjald Moser, and May-Britt Mose, among others who have been recognized for their contributions across various disciplines, according to the statement.

"I reiterate that children bear the brunt of terrorism and warfare. The fact that numerous Nobel Laureates from diverse domains have united to demand the safety of children, for the first time ever, underscores the urgency of the current situation," remarked Satyarthi.

"I earnestly hope that the voices of these global moral authorities will resonate with the Prime Ministers and the populace of both India and Pakistan, leading to immediate steps to de-escalate tensions between the two nations," he expressed in the statement.

This marks the first instance where such a substantial number of Nobel laureates, spanning from peace laureates to those in the realms of economics, chemistry, physics, and medicine, have united in a collective plea to draw attention to the lives and futures of over half a billion children in India and Pakistan that hang in the balance, as asserted in the statement.

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