By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday reiterated his country’s desire for improved relations with neighboring India, but insisted that any thaw in ties between the nuclear-armed rivals hinges on resolving the decades-old dispute over the divided Himalayan territory of Kashmir.
Speaking to a gathering of Pakistani expatriates in London, Sharif emphasised that Pakistan seeks peaceful dialogue on equal terms to address outstanding issues, including Kashmir, water rights, trade and terrorism. But he warned that ignoring the Kashmir question would be foolhardy.
“I have made this offer so many times in the past. We want to discuss Kashmir, water, trade and terrorism issues, not because of any weakness but on the basis of equal terms. As neighbours, now the onus is upon us whether to live in peace or war,” Sharif said. “But for that to happen, the resolution of the Kashmir dispute is a basic pillar… if anyone thinks that without the resolution of the Kashmir dispute our bilateral relations can be restored, he is living in a fool’s paradise.”
The remarks come amid lingering tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi following a brief but deadly military confrontation in May, sparked by an attack the previous month in occupied Kashmir. The clash, which killed more than 70 people on both sides, involved exchanges of missiles, artillery fire, airstrikes and drone attacks before a US-brokered ceasefire took hold on May 10.
India and Pakistan have fought two of their three wars since independence in 1947 over Kashmir, a region each administers in part but claims in full. Ties plummeted to their lowest point in years after the April incident in Pahalgam, which India blamed on Pakistan, allegations Sharif dismissed as baseless.
The prime minister elaborated that after India’s accusations over the Pahalgam incident, he had offered for a probe by an international committee into the incident in a fair, impartial and transparent manner and to prove India’s false allegations, but India did not respond to his offer.
“On May 6, aggression was unleashed against the innocent civilians and civilian assets were attacked inside Pakistan, leading to civilian causalities”, Sharif said, adding Pakistan in its right of defence, down six enemy’s fighter jets in one go which made the enemy realised its precarious position.
Sharif, in a speech broadcast on national TV channels on Sunday, further told that on May 10, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir phoned him and informed about India’s repeated attack. “Field Marshal Asim’s tone was full of confidence and composed and he sought permission to respond to the enemy’s repugnant act, as he wanted to give them a lesson.”
The prime minister praised the military’s response, crediting the valor and professionalism of the armed forces, along with national unity, for what he described as a decisive victory. “It was a great triumph that taught a lesson to the enemy and surely, will the foe remember it forever,” he added.
The prime minister said during his recent interaction with the world leaders, he had told them, in response to their queries, that they achieved the victory in Marka e Haq, Bunyan al Marsoos, on basis of two factors. First, he said, it was all due to valour, professionalism and acumen of the armed forces and trust in Allah Almighty besides, their latest techniques and the highest level of training and secondly, a display of total unity among the political and military leadership of the country.
“Field Marshal Asim Munir led the fight, the officers and personnel of the armed forces displayed bravery while Pakistan Air Force under the leadership of air chief marshal set a precedent unmatched in the history,” he added. “They were fully supported by 240 million people of the country who were united against their enemy and aggressor.”
Sharif also turned to broader regional instability, condemning Israel’s war in Gaza, which he said had killed over 65,000 Palestinians since October 2023. “I believe the time has come that we need peace in this region,” he said. “And the Islamic world must step forward and talk about peace.”
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