Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Wednesday that Islamabad wants peace in South Asia through an amicable solution to the long-simmering Kashmir dispute and water issues with neighbouring India.
Addressing a trilateral summit along with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev in Lachin, Azerbaijan, Sharif said Islamabad wants a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir dispute in accordance with the “concerned” UN Security Council resolutions, and the wishes of people in Kashmir.
Commenting on the unilateral suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) water-sharing agreement by New Delhi last month, Sharif said it was a “lifeline for Pakistan’s 240 million people.”
He said Pakistan would be willing to discuss all issues, along with counterterrorism and the promotion of trade with India.
“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 UN Security Council resolutions and according to aspirations of Kashmiris,” Sharif said.
“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 said.
“I would be extremely grateful for your support in this regard,” Sharif said, addressing the Turkish and Azerbaijani presidents.
Stopping the flow of water to Pakistan
Pakistan is the “biggest” victim of terrorism around the globe, which has lost 90,000 “valuable” lives and $150 billion worth of economic losses in the last several decades, Sharif stated.
India, he said, “tries to weaponise” the Indus Waters Treaty, calling it the “most unfortunate” move by India which tries to “threaten” Pakistan by stopping the flow of water to Pakistan.
“We are making proper arrangements to ensure that India never ever does it,” he maintained.
New Delhi suspended the decades-long treaty last month in the aftermath of an April 22 Pahalgam attack in Indian-administered Kashmir which resulted in 26 deaths.
India said the attack had “cross-border links” to Pakistan but Islamabad denied the charges and offered a neutral probe.
‘Sincere brothers’
Sharif thanked the “sincere brothers” of Türkiye and Azerbaijan for their support to Pakistan during recent hostilities with India, in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack.
“Pakistan is fortunate for having sincere friends like Türkiye and Azerbaijan, which stood together with us as impregnable rocks who we can trust without a second thought,” said Sharif.
He said the “historical” relationship between the three allies has been further strengthened as “we have stood by each other, whether it be on Karabakh, Kashmir or Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Our strength lies in our solidarity and mutual respect.”
“The world we live in faces numerous grave challenges, including armed conflict, climate change, diseases and economic crises. This is why the three of us have assembled here today, opting for compassion while rejecting conflict. We are confident that patience and wisdom will ultimately usher in peace and prosperity,” Sharif said.
In a separate address to a ceremony in connection with Azerbaijan’s Independence Day, Sharif demanded an immediate ceasefire in the war-torn Gaza Strip, urging the international community to “wake up” to the Israeli brutalities.
Hailing Ankara and Baku for their consistent support for the Palestine cause, he reiterated Islamabad’s support for a two-state solution, calling for the establishment of an independent Palestine state with Jerusalem as its capital.
___
Source: TRT