Shehbaz Sharif Open to Dialogue with India as Tensions Persist Post-Operation Sindoor
Pakistan's Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, has expressed his willingness to engage in "meaningful dialogue" with India on various longstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, terrorism, water sharing, and trade. This announcement came during a phone conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to a report by Radio Pakistan.
The call for dialogue follows a period of heightened tension between the two countries, exacerbated by India's Operation Sindoor, a precision military strike in May targeting terrorist infrastructure within Pakistan. This operation was a response to a terror attack on April 22 in Pahalgam, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians. The incident has left diplomatic relations between the two nations strained, with India imposing both diplomatic and economic constraints on Pakistan.
Sharif reiterated Pakistan's openness to dialogue with India, echoing similar statements made during his recent visits to Iran and Azerbaijan.
Despite Sharif's overtures, India has shown little interest in initiating talks. New Delhi maintains that meaningful discussions cannot occur until Pakistan takes decisive and irreversible steps against terrorism. India's External Affairs Ministry has reinforced Prime Minister Narendra Modi's stance, asserting that "terror and talks cannot go together, terror and trade cannot go together, and water and blood cannot flow together."
In reaction to the Pahalgam attack, India suspended key bilateral agreements, including holding the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, ceasing trade with Pakistan, and closing its airspace to Pakistani aircraft. The Modi administration has reiterated that its only point of discussion would be the return of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
Although both nations agreed to cease military operations on May 10 after intense cross-border exchanges, diplomatic tensions persist.
Analysts perceive Sharif's comments to the Saudi Crown Prince as an effort to garner international attention and possibly facilitate regional peace. However, with India's current focus on counterterrorism, the likelihood of immediate talks remains slim.
