Days after a series of missile and drone attacks launched by Pakistan against India — which were met with swift counterstrikes targeting multiple Pakistani airbases — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has stated that Islamabad is willing to engage in peace talks with New Delhi.
Sharif made these remarks during a visit to Kamra air base in Punjab province, where he met with officers and soldiers involved in the recent military confrontation. This visit marked his second to a defence facility since the ceasefire agreement between the two nations. His earlier visit was to the Pasrur Cantonment in Sialkot.
“We are ready to talk with it (India) for peace,” Sharif said during his address at the air base. However, he emphasised that any peace talks must include the Kashmir issue — a long-standing point of contention between the two countries.
India, on its part, has consistently maintained that Jammu and Kashmir are an integral part of the country and not subject to negotiation. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his first national address following the recent conflict, reaffirmed India's stance. He stated that any dialogue with Pakistan would focus solely on terrorism and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). “India's stand has been clear — terror, trade, and talks cannot go together,” Modi asserted.
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The military escalation began with a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives. In response, India launched Operation Sindoor during the night of May 6 and 7, targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and PoK. The operation reportedly resulted in the deaths of over 100 terrorists.
In retaliation, Pakistan attempted to strike several Indian military bases on May 8, 9, and 10. The Indian armed forces responded with a powerful counter-attack, hitting multiple Pakistani military installations, including bases at Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, and Chunian.
Despite the recent hostilities, Sharif’s call for dialogue suggests a potential diplomatic opening — though substantial differences remain between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, especially concerning the Kashmir dispute and cross-border terrorism.
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