Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif on Monday, May 27, expressed a willingness to engage in peace talks with India to resolve long-standing disputes, including Kashmir, terrorism, water sharing, and trade. His remarks came during a visit to Tehran, the second leg of his four-nation diplomatic tour.
“We want to resolve all disputes – including the Kashmir issue and water sharing – through dialogue, and we are ready to engage with our neighbour on trade and counter-terrorism,” Sharif stated during a joint press conference with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Sharif’s offer comes just weeks after a spike in hostilities between the two countries. Tensions flared following the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, prompting India to launch Operation Sindoor on May 7 – a series of precision strikes on terror camps in Pakistan and PoK. Pakistan responded with drone and missile attacks, leading to further retaliation from India against multiple Pakistani military installations.
A breakthrough occurred on May 10, when Pakistan initiated contact for a ceasefire. Following military-level discussions, both sides agreed to halt hostilities.
Despite Sharif’s call for comprehensive dialogue, PM Narendra Modi has reiterated that any talks with Pakistan will be strictly limited to the issue of terrorism and the return of PoK. Modi made it clear that “terror and talks cannot happen together,” asserting that there can be no coexistence of “terror and trade” or “blood and water.”
India has also firmly stated that any dialogue with Pakistan must be bilateral, dismissing third-party mediation – an apparent response to past offers by U.S. President Donald Trump to mediate the Kashmir dispute.
