Dialogue only way forward to resolve issues with India, says Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif; Accused India of stockpiling weapons, arguing that militarisation would not bring peace or improve the lives of people in the region.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has reiterated his call for dialogue with India to resolve all outstanding issues, including Kashmir, while reaffirming Pakistan’s “unwavering” support for the Kashmiri people.
Speaking at a special session of the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) Legislative Assembly in Muzaffarabad on Kashmir Solidarity Day, Sharif urged India to move beyond the August 5, 2019 decision, referring to the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution that revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories, and to engage in talks as per commitments made to the United Nations.
“We want all issues, including Kashmir, to be resolved through talks,” Sharif said, adding, “India should come out of the thinking of August 5, 2019, and fulfil promises made to the UN and launch a dialogue.”
Sharif referenced the 1999 Lahore Declaration, signed between India and Pakistan, as a framework for peace, saying that “dialogue is the only way forward.” However, India has consistently stated that it seeks normal relations with Pakistan only in an atmosphere free of terrorism and violence.
The Prime Minister also accused India of stockpiling weapons, arguing that militarisation would not bring peace or improve the lives of people in the region. He urged India to adopt a pragmatic approach, asserting that peace was the key to progress.
“Pakistan will continue to offer its unwavering moral, diplomatic, and political support to the Kashmiri people until they achieve their right to self-determination,” he said. “The only solution to the Kashmir issue is the right to self-determination under the United Nations Security Council resolution,” he added.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari, military leadership, and PoK’s Anwarul Haq echoed similar sentiments, and called on the international community to exert pressure on India to allow the Kashmiri people to “freely determine their future” for lasting regional peace.
State-run Radio Pakistan reported that posters and billboards had been put up across key locations, including major avenues, airports, and railway stations, to mark the occasion. Source
