Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday repeated his call to hold talks with India, urging both nations to sit down “for peace” and resolve long-standing issues, including Kashmir, water sharing, and terrorism. While India after Operation Sindoor has made it clear to Pakistan, that talks will only take place on the matter of PoK.His remarks came during the Pakistan-Turkiye-Azerbaijan Trilateral Summit in Lachin, Azerbaijan, where he was joined by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.This was Sharif’s second call for dialogue in a week. On Monday, while in Tehran, he expressed a similar willingness to engage with India “to resolve all disputes.”“We must sit together and talk for the sake of peace… There are issues that demand immediate attention and must be addressed through dialogue,” Sharif said, according to Dawn. He added, “I have said in all humility that we want peace in the region[…] and that requires talks on the table on issues which need urgent attention and amicable resolution, that is the issue of Kashmir according to the resolutions of the United Nations and the Security Council and as per the aspirations of the people of Kashmir.”Sharif also expressed openness to discussing counterterrorism with India, saying, “I have said in all earnest that if India wants to talk on countering terrorism in sincerity of purpose, Pakistan would be willing to talk to India on this issue as well.” He further stated his desire to resume trade ties, and criticised India’s decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty, calling it a vital resource for Pakistan’s drinking and agricultural needs.However, India has made its stance unequivocally clear: talks with Pakistan will only focus on two issues, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and terrorism.Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his first statement following Operation Sindoor, said: “Today, I would also like to tell the global community that our stated policy has been: if there are talks with Pakistan, it will be only on terrorism; and if there are talks with Pakistan, it will be only on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).”Tensions between the two countries have intensified since the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam, which left 26 dead. In retaliation, India launched Operation Sindoor, a coordinated military campaign that began on May 7, targeting nine terror launchpads in Pakistan and PoK. The Indian Air Force also destroyed 11 Pakistani airbases in response to Pakistan’s failed attempts to strike Indian military positions on May 8, 9, and 10.The conflict de-escalated after both sides agreed to halt military actions following a meeting between their directors general of military operations on May 10.
