Pakistan PM Sharif reaffirms his willingness to talk with India on all issues
Shehbaz Sharif
Friday reaffirmed Pakistan's willingness to talk with India on all outstanding issues, including
Jammu and Kashmir
, the
Indus Water Treaty
, trade and counter-terrorism.
He conveyed this during a telephonic conversation with
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio
, according to a statement posted by the state-run Pakistan Television on X.
During their warm and cordial conversation, the Prime Minister conveyed his best wishes to US President Donald Trump, it said. He praised the President for his bold leadership and appreciated Secretary Rubio's proactive diplomacy that "played a pivotal role in helping Pakistan and India to arrive at a ceasefire understanding".
Sharif said that President Trump's positive statements about Pakistan are most encouraging for a durable peace in South Asia, which can only be made possible by initiating meaningful dialogue between Pakistan and India.
"In this context, he reaffirmed Pakistan's willingness for talks with India on all outstanding issues, including Jammu & Kashmir, the Indus Water Treaty, trade and counter-terrorism," the state-run PTV said.
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India has made it clear that it will only have a dialogue with Pakistan on the return of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the issue of terrorism.
The situation in the Middle East, particularly the Iran-Israel crisis, was also discussed, where the Prime Minister emphasized the need to find a peaceful resolution to this grave crisis, through dialogue and diplomacy.
He said Pakistan is ready to play a constructive role in any effort for peace in the current situation, which is deeply worrying, not only for the region but for the entire world.
While recalling President Trump's focus on trade, Sharif said Pakistan and the US need to work together to advance mutually beneficial cooperation across a wide range of areas, including trade, investment, energy, mining, rare earth metals, and IT.
On security and counter-terrorism, the Prime Minister reaffirmed Pakistan's resolve to deal with the menace of terrorism from the entire country, particularly the threat from militant groups.
Rubio appreciated Pakistan's counter-terrorism efforts and assured Pakistan of full cooperation by the United States in countering all such threats, the channel said.
He also appreciated Pakistan's resolve to uphold the ceasefire understanding with India, as well as its sustained efforts for peace in the region.
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