Ready to hold meaningful dialogue with India, says Pak PM

Nearly two months after the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 civilians dead and prompted India to launch precision strikes against terror infrastructure in mainland Pakistan and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed his willingness to hold talks with India to address all outstanding issues including Jammu and Kashmir and terrorism.

‘Ready to engage with India’

Sharif made the remarks during a telephonic conversation with the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday (June 24). Radio Pakistan reported that during the conversation, Sharif said “Pakistan is ready to engage in a meaningful dialogue with India on all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, water, trade and terrorism”.

Also Read: Pak PM Sharif bats for 'path of peaceful negotiations' to address India-Pak issues

Gratitude for the Saudi govt

The Pakistani Prime Minister also expressed gratitude to the Kingdom for its steady support to Islamabad during India’s Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terrorist infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes that ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions on May 10.

Earlier this month, Shariff had said that he was keen on holding peace talks with India to resolve all outstanding issues, including Kashmir, terrorism, water and trade.

Also Read: Pak PM Sharif terms Indian strikes on terror targets as 'act of war', vows to respond

India’s stance

However, New Delhi has made it clear it will only hold a dialogue with Pakistan on the return of PoK to India and on terrorism.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also said that the Indus Water Treaty will remain in abeyance till the time Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support to cross-border terrorism “just like Prime Minister Narendra Modi said: 'terror and talks cannot go together, terror and trade cannot go together, and water and blood cannot flow together'.”

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Iran-Israel conflict

Sharif and the Saudi leader also spoke about the evolving situation in West Asia. The Pakistani Prime Minister said that Islamabad fully supported the immediate de-escalation of the Iran-Israel conflict, as well as its peaceful resolution through dialogue and diplomacy.

On his part, the Crown Prince thanked the Prime Minister for the telephone call and appreciated Pakistan’s expression of solidarity and support for the Kingdom, Radio Pakistan said.

Following the Pahalgam attack, India took several punitive diplomatic measures, including the suspension of the crucial Indus Water Treaty and stopping all trade with Pakistan. Islamabad had earlier threatened that any attempt to divert its share of water under the treaty would be treated as an “act of war.”

With agency inputs