Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday he was “absolutely willing and ready” to engage with India for the sake of regional peace and prosperity, but the onus was on New Delhi to take necessary measures for “meaningful engagement“.
While addressing the 6th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia in Kazakhstan, the premier said, “I am absolutely ready and willing to have a serious dialogue and discussion with our counterparts, Indians, provided that they show sincerity of purpose and they show that they are ready to discuss issues that have really kept us at a distance over decades.”
PM Sharif stressed that the people deserved that resources be diverted to their education and health.
I want to leave behind a legacy of peace and progress
“I want to leave behind a legacy of peace and progress for the prosperity of the coming generations of our region,” he said.
“Pakistan’s first priority at the moment is to revive rapid and equitable economy,” he stated, regretting that issues that have kept the two countries apart had hampered the promotion of bilateral trade and investment.
“This has to come to a stop,” he stressed, “but the onus remains on India to take the necessary steps for meaningful and result oriented-engagement.
PM on Kashmir
PM Sharif highlighted India’s unabated atrocities in Jammu and Kashmir for the last seven decades where Kashmiris faced the continued denial of their right to self-determination.
He urged other countries to take notice of India’s “Bullet over ballot” policy as it blatantly quashed the United Nations Security Council’s resolution on holding a plebiscite in Kashmir.
“India has become a threat to its minorities, neighbours and the entire region,” he said.
Prosperous and stable Afghanistan is not only in the interest of Pakistan but also for the international community
On Afghanistan, he said four decades of conflict took not only a heavy toll on the country but also upon Pakistan.
Pakistan, he said, suffered immense damage to its peace and security with serious consequences in the shape of 80,000 casualties and billions of dollars in financial losses.
The prime minister expressed satisfaction that after immense sacrifices, Pakistan was now able to control extremism and terrorism on its soil while managing to host four million Afghan refugees.
“A prosperous and stable Afghanistan is not only in the interest of Pakistan, but also for the international community,” he said.
