By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has made a conditional offer to India to open ‘serious and sincere talks’ on all outstanding issues between the two countries, including Kashmir.
“My message to the Indian leadership and Prime Minister Modi is that let’s sit down on the table and have serious and sincere talks to resolve our burning points like Kashmir. It is up to us to live peacefully and make progress or quarrel with each other and waste time and resources,” Sharif said in an interview with UAE-based Al Arabiya news channel.
The Prime Minister said he had taken up the issue with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed on his recent visit to the Emirates and ask him to “bring the two countries together”.
“He’s a brother of Pakistan. He also has good relations with India. He can play a very important role in bringing the two countries to the talking table,” the PM said.
Sharif said both the country had fought three wars and “they have only brought more misery, poverty, and unemployment to the people”.
“We have learnt our lesson, and we want to live in peace with India, provided we are able to resolve our genuine problems.”
PM Sharif said Pakistan and India are neighbours and have to “live with each other.” “It is up to us to live peacefully, make progress or quarrel with each other, and waste time and resources. We have three wars with India and it only brought more misery, poverty, and unemployment to the people.”
Sharif also brought up the subject of Kashmir during the interview and slammed revocation of Article 370 by the Indian government.
“[India] usurped whatever semblance of autonomy was given to Kashmiris in their Constitution — Article 370. They revoked that in August 2019, and minorities over there are pained, grossly mishandled. This must stop so that a message can go around the globe that India is ready to have talks, and we are more than ready.”
The ties between the two countries nosedived after India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, revoking the special status of Kashmir and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019. India’s decision evoked a strong reaction from Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian envoy.
Later, a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s office after the interview aired added that such talks would only be possible if India restored the autonomous status in the part of Kashmir it rules that was revoked in 2019.
“Without India’s revocation of this step, negotiations are not possible,” it said.
“The PM has consistently maintained that Pakistan and India must resolve their bilateral issues, especially the core issue of Jammu & Kashmir, through dialogue and peaceful means,” it added. “The Prime Minister has repeatedly stated on record that talks can only take place after India has reversed its illegal action (sic) of August 5, 2019. Without India’s revocation of this step, negotiations are not possible.”
India and Pakistan have fought three wars and have shared a fractious relationship since the two gained independence in 1947, and in 2019 tensions rose dramatically as they sent combat planes into each other’s territory.
People-to-people contact between the countries virtually ended after the 2019 clashes.
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