Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Monday asked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold serious and sincere talks to resolve burning issues, including Kashmir.
In an interview with Al Arabiya news channel, PM Shehbaz said, “My message to the Indian leadership and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is that let us sit down on the table and have serious and sincere talks to resolve our burning issues like Kashmir.”
رسالتي للشعب الباكستاني أن يقتدوا بـ #السعودية ورؤيتها المستقبلية.#مقابلة_خاصة #باكستان@layal_alekhtiar@CMShehbaz pic.twitter.com/Ra5p7Sfxvb
— العربية برامج (@AlArabiya_shows) January 16, 2023
He said that in Kashmir, flagrant human rights violations were taking place day in and day out, adding India had usurped any semblance of autonomy given to the Kashmiris according to Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, as the autonomy was revoked in August 2019.
Referring to the “persecution of minorities in India, PM Shehbaz said that it must stop so that the message can go around the globe that India is ready to have talks.
Shehbaz said India and Pakistan are neighbors and have to live with each other.
“It is up to us to live peacefully and make progress or quarrel with each other, and waste time and resources,” PM Shehbaz said.
He said that Pakistan had three wars with India, and it only brought more misery, poverty, and unemployment to the people.
“We have learnt our lesson, and we want to live in peace provided we are able to resolve our genuine problems.”
“We want to alleviate poverty, achieve prosperity, and provide education and health facilities and employment to our people and not waste our resources on bombs and ammunition, that is the message I want to give to Prime Minister Modi,” he added.
“We are nuclear powers, armed to the teeth and if God forbid a war breaks out who will live to tell what happened,” he remarked.
He said the leadership of the United Arab Emirates could play an important role to bring India and Pakistan together, adding he would hold talks with the Indian leadership with the sincerity of purpose.
He said that Saudi Arabia was a friendly and brotherly country, and they had unique brotherly relations for centuries.
He said Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed was an affectionate brother and great supporter of Pakistan and wanted the people of Pakistan to progress and become prosperous. Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan was also a great friend of Pakistan and Pakistan was in his soul.
