Pakistan wants peaceful ties with all neighbours, including India, and the “core issue” of Jammu and Kashmir must be settled in line with UN resolutions and the wishes of the Kashmiri people, Pakistani chargé d’affaires Salman Sharif said on Thursday.
Sharif made the remarks while addressing a ceremony at the Pakistan high commission in New Delhi to mark Pakistan Day, which commemorates the adoption of the country’s first constitution in 1956. He raised Pakistan’s flag at the ceremony held at the chancery’s lawns.
He stressed Pakistan “desires peaceful relations with all neighbouring countries, including India, on the basis of mutual respect”, according to a statement from the mission. He added Pakistan believes in resolving all outstanding issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, through dialogue and diplomacy.
Sharif “reiterated that for durable peace, stability and development in South Asia, the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir must be resolved in accordance with the UN resolutions and the aspirations of the Kashmiri people,” the statement said.
There was no immediate response from Indian officials to the remarks.
India-Pakistan relations have been at a low point for more than a decade because of sharp differences over issues such as Kashmir and terrorism. Pakistan downgraded relations and decided not to post a high commissioner in New Delhi after the Indian government scrapped Jammu and Kashmir’s special status in 2019.
Sharif, who also read out messages from Pakistan President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, paid tribute to the country’s founding fathers and others who sacrificed their lives for the nation’s independence.
He said Pakistan faced many challenges in the past 75 years but continued its pursuit of progress with the same spirit as it was when the country was founded in 1947.
Sharif also inaugurated a photo exhibition on the Pakistan Movement.
