Pakistan PM Bats for 'Meaningful Dialogue' with India on All Key Issues

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has expressed his country’s willingness to engage in a “meaningful dialogue” with India to resolve longstanding bilateral issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, terrorism, trade, and water sharing. His remarks, reported by news agency PTI on Wednesday, come amid renewed tensions following the deadly Pahalgam terror attack and India’s retaliatory military action, Operation Sindoor.

Sharif made the overture during a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Tuesday, according to Pakistan’s state broadcaster Radio Pakistan. The conversation is the latest in a series of diplomatic signals from Islamabad indicating interest in reviving stalled talks with New Delhi.

“Pakistan is ready to engage in a meaningful dialogue with India on all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, water, trade, and terrorism,” Sharif was quoted as saying.

Operation Sindoor and Rising Tensions

India’s position remains unchanged since the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which killed 26 people and was allegedly traced back to Pakistan-based terror outfits. In response, New Delhi launched Operation Sindoor, a high-precision military strike targeting terrorist infrastructure inside Pakistan.

The operation triggered a brief but intense four-day military standoff. Following multiple retaliatory exchanges between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, a ceasefire agreement was reached on May 10. However, diplomatic ties remain frosty.

India has since suspended trade relations with Pakistan, imposed stringent airspace restrictions on Pakistani aircraft, and placed the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance — a landmark water-sharing accord between the two countries.

India’s Unyielding Stance: 'No Talks Till Terror Ends'

Despite Pakistan’s repeated calls for engagement — most recently reiterated during Sharif’s visits to Iran and Azerbaijan in May — New Delhi has categorically dismissed any possibility of dialogue unless Islamabad demonstrably ends its support for cross-border terrorism.

“Talks and terror cannot go together, trade and terror cannot go together, and water and blood cannot flow together,” said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s long-standing position.

India maintains that the return of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and the cessation of terrorism are the only subjects it is willing to discuss with Islamabad. PM Modi has conveyed that no peace process will move forward unless Pakistan takes “credible and irreversible” steps to dismantle terror networks operating from its soil.

Diplomatic Freeze Amid International Mediation

While no formal mediation is underway, Sharif’s outreach to the Saudi Crown Prince is seen by observers as part of Pakistan’s broader effort to engage regional stakeholders and break the diplomatic logjam with India. Saudi Arabia has historically played an unofficial role in diffusing South Asian tensions, though India has typically resisted third-party involvement in bilateral matters.

As of now, there are no official plans for bilateral talks between New Delhi and Islamabad. India’s decision to hold back on military action following the initial retaliation is viewed as a strategic pause rather than a softening of stance.

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