Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif Says Ready To Talk With India On All Disputes

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif recently said that he is ready to have peace dialogues with India on all longstanding disputes. According to media reports, Pakistan PM gave this big statement during his recent visit to Tehran, Iran.

"We want to resolve all disputes, including the Kashmir issue and the water issue, through negotiations and are also ready to talk to our neighbour on trade and counter-terrorism," Sharif elaborated.

This gesture of diplomacy comes in the wake of recent military actions and retaliations, signaling a potential shift towards negotiation over conflict. Sharif's proposal includes discussions on critical issues such as Kashmir, terrorism, water distribution, and bilateral trade, reflecting a comprehensive agenda for peace.

Sharif presented his country's desire to approach these contentious issues through peaceful negotiations.

Pakistan PM's statements arrive shortly after both India and Pakistan reached an agreement to cease cross-border firing, an escalation that followed the Pahalgam terrorist attack and India's consequential Operation Sindoor.

Despite Pakistan's renewed interest in dialogue, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has stipulated that any talks with Pakistan will predominantly focus on terrorism and the return of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK). Modi emphasizes that discussions on terrorism and trade, as well as water sharing, cannot progress simultaneously with acts of terror. "Terror and talks cannot happen at the same time. Terror and trade cannot take place. Blood and water cannot flow together. I want to tell the international community that if there will be talks between India and Pakistan, it will only be on terrorism and POK," Modi firmly stated.

India insists that any diplomatic engagements with Pakistan should remain a bilateral matter, implicitly rejecting any third-party mediation, including previous offers from US President Donald Trump regarding the Kashmir dispute. This stance underscores India's commitment to addressing these issues directly with Pakistan, without external interference.

However, in a stark reminder of the delicate balance between peace and conflict, Sharif warned that Pakistan is prepared to defend its territory should India choose aggression over diplomacy. "But if they choose to remain aggressors, then we shall defend our territory like we have done a few days ago," he declared, adding, "But if they accept my offer of peace, then we will show that we really want peace, seriously and sincerely."

The backdrop to these diplomatic overtures is a series of military confrontations between the two countries, notably India's Operation Sindoor on May 7, which targeted terror camps within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. This operation was a response to a deadly attack by Pakistan-based terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which claimed 26 lives. Pakistan's subsequent military response, including drone and missile attacks, prompted further retaliation from India, highlighting the ongoing cycle of violence.