‘Absolutely ready’ for meaningful dialogue with India: Pakistani premier

ISLAMABAD (AA) – Pakistan’s prime minister Shehbaz Sharif has made a “meaningful” dialogue offer to long-time rival India and said he is “absolutely ready” to move on for peace, and prosperity in the region.

Addressing the 6th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia in Kazakhstan, Shehbaz Sharif said he is willing to engage with India for the sake of peace, prosperity, and progress in the region.

“I am absolutely ready and willing to have serious dialogue and discussion with our counterparts,” Sharif said in his speech.

However, he said that the onus remains on India to take the necessary steps for “meaningful and result-oriented engagement.”

The Pakistani premier added that they cannot afford to have more poverty, and unemployment on both sides of the border and spend resources on creating tension.

“Enough is enough, we need to really provide education, health and medicine, and jobs to our children,” he said.

Sharif also highlighted the ongoing human rights violations in Indian-administered Kashmir and urged the leaders to recognize the brutal nature of the Indian government policies in the Indian occupied region of Kashmir.

“For seven decades, India has trampled the will of the people of Jammu and Kashmir by denying them the right to self-determination. India has used repression to silence the voice of Kashmiris,” he said.

The already fraught relations between Pakistan and India worsened in August 2019 when New Delhi stripped the disputed Jammu and Kashmir valley of its longstanding constitutionally guaranteed semi-autonomous status.

The controversial move instantly prompted Islamabad to downgrade diplomatic ties and halt trade with New Delhi.