ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is ready to engage in comprehensive dialogue with India, including talks on the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday.
Speaking to journalists in Islamabad, Deputy PM Dar said that the ceasefire along the Line of Control remains intact between the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours.
Dar said that the ceasefire arrangement, agreed on May 10, followed a request from India conveyed through the United States. “I received a call from the US for a ceasefire. I made it clear that Pakistan never wanted war,” he said.
Dar stressed that Pakistan had not sought mediation but indicated readiness to meet India at a neutral venue.
“If it is a neutral location, we can proceed with talks,” the Deputy PM said, adding that any engagement must not be limited to a single issue. “Dialogue must include all outstanding matters, especially Kashmir.”
He also criticised the “unnecessary rhetoric” from India, while reiterating Pakistan’s position that peace in South Asia required addressing the Kashmir dispute.
Commenting on wider regional diplomacy, Dar announced he would leave for a two-day visit to Bangladesh on Friday aimed at strengthening bilateral ties. “The aim is to bring Pakistan and Bangladesh closer,” he said.
Pakistan rules out PM Sharif meeting with Modi
As part of efforts to improve relations, Pakistan and Bangladesh have signed a new agreement allowing visa-free entry for diplomatic and official passport holders.
The arrangement, which will remain in effect for five years, enables diplomats and government officials from both countries to travel without visas.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office dismissed reports of a possible meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the SCO summit in China.
“There is no planned engagement between the two leaders,” Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said at the weekly press briefing on Friday.
He added that Dar’s visit to Bangladesh is expected to yield positive outcomes in enhancing trade and cooperation against terrorism.
