Pakistan ready for dialogue if India serious on Kashmir issue

BAKU: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Saturday said Pakistan was willing to hold dialogue with India if New Delhi was sincere in resolving the Kashmir issue.

Speaking to Geo news during a three-day visit to Azerbaijan on the invitation of the country’s president, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said India had always avoided talks over the Kashmir issue.

Pakistan has been raising the issue of human rights abuses and Indian atrocities in Occupied Kashmir. Since July, over 115 Kashmiris have been martyred by Indian forces while thousands have been injured. 500 Kashmiris are also at risk of losing their eyesight as a result of pellet guns being used by Indian security forces.

In what is being considered a move to divert attention from the Kashmir issue, India without presenting any proof blamed Pakistan for the attack on Uri army base in which 19 soldiers were killed. This led to an escalation in tension between the South Asian neighbours with India violating the ceasefire agreement repeatedly at the Line of Control (Loc). In a violation on 29 September, two Pakistani soldiers were martyred in what India claimed were ‘surgical strikes.’ The claim was dismissed by Pakistan and India till date has not provided any proof of this.

The prime minister also spoke of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s call to shut down Islamabad. “Islamabad will remain open,” Prime Minister Sharif said.

He refuted the impression work on the China Pakistan Economic Corridor had slowed down.

The prime minister said that that he had been asked to raises prices of gas, but would refrain from doing so.

The prime minister met with the president of Azerbaijan on Friday to discuss matters of regional security and trade. It was also decided that Azerbaijan and Pakistan will conduct joint military exercises.