ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said that future peace talks between Pakistan and India may take place in Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates (UAE), noting that both countries maintain strong relations with Islamabad and New Delhi and may be acceptable as neutral venues.
Speaking to senior journalists in Islamabad, Prime Minister Sharif acknowledged that India is currently reluctant to hold talks on outstanding issues with Pakistan, adding that a third country could potentially mediate to bring both sides to the table. “Talks, if they happen, should be held in a neutral country,” he said.
Shehbaz Sharif said that Pakistan would raise four key issues in any future negotiations—Kashmir, water, trade, and terrorism. He, however, noted that India remains unwilling to participate in talks involving third-party facilitation.
The Prime Minister also said that during recent communication between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries, both sides agreed to pull their forces back to pre-conflict positions.
He said that Pakistan’s delegation for the talks would include the National Security Adviser and the Director-General of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Israel’s military support for India
The Prime Minister made serious allegations regarding foreign involvement in the recent conflict, claiming that Israel provided significant support to India.
“About 150 trained Israeli military personnel arrived in India before the war. They supported Indian forces, and Israeli weapons were used in Srinagar and other areas,” PM Sharif said.
Dismissing claims that Pakistan had sought a ceasefire, the Prime Minister said that Pakistan had not requested a ceasefire during the recent conflict. “If we had done so, the international community would have known,” he said.
PM Sharif said Pakistan responded to Indian aggression with full force, shooting down six Indian aircraft and targeting Indian drones and even their S-400 air defence system. “We could have downed more aircraft, but we showed restraint,” he said.
He emphasised that Pakistan fought only to defend its homeland. “We replied with strength to a country five times our size. India considered itself a regional policeman—we shattered that illusion,” the premier said.
Referring to the recent Pahalgam attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, PM Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s offer for an impartial international investigation. “I said publicly at Kakul that Pakistan had nothing to do with the attack and offered a neutral inquiry. The world accepted our position.”
Shehbaz Sharif also said that Pakistan had utilised advanced Chinese military technology during the conflict. He expressed gratitude to China, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Azerbaijan for their firm support during the recent tensions.
Pakistan-India conflict
Tensions between Pakistan and India escalated on April 22, when an attack in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir resort town of Pahalgam killed 26 people. India immediately blamed Pakistan for the incident, without providing any public evidence.
In response, India undertook a series of hostile actions the next day on April 23, including suspending the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), cancelling visas for Pakistani citizens, closing the Wagah-Attari border crossing, ordering the shutdown of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, and reducing diplomatic staff at each other’s embassies.
Pakistan strongly rejected the accusation, calling it unsubstantiated and offered a neutral and transparent international investigation into the Pahalgam attack.
Pakistan also took reciprocal measures through its National Security Committee (NSC). These included halting trade with India, closing Pakistani airspace to Indian aircraft, and other countersteps.
Tensions further escalated in the early hours of May 7, when Indian missile strikes hit six cities in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), destroying a mosque and killing dozens of civilians, including women, children, and the elderly.
In a swift military response, Pakistan’s armed forces shot down Indian warplanes, including three Rafale jets, widely regarded as a key asset of the Indian Air Force. Over the following two days, India launched waves of Israeli-made drones, which were also neutralised by Pakistan’s military.
The confrontation intensified again in the early hours of May 10, when India targeted several Pakistani airbases with missile strikes. In retaliation, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, damaging Indian military installations, including missile storage sites, airbases, and other strategic targets.
By May 10 evening, US President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire had been reached following intense diplomatic efforts overnight. Minutes later, the agreement was confirmed separately by Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the Indian foreign secretary.
