Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif invites India for dialogue, stresses Kashmir as key to peace

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has extended an invitation to India for peace talks, stating that his country is open to dialogue in the interest of regional stability. However, he emphasised that any meaningful conversation must include the issue of Kashmir, as per reports.

Sharif reportedly made these remarks during a visit to the Kamra air base in Punjab, where he met with military personnel who were involved in recent tensions along the India-Pakistan border. He said that they are willing to engage with India for peace, he also said that resolving the Kashmir dispute is essential for lasting harmony.

Sharif reportedly made these remarks during a visit to the Kamra air base inPunjab, where he met with military personnel who were involved in recent tensions along the India-Pakistan border. He said that they are willing to engage with India for peace, he also said that resolving the Kashmir dispute is essential for lasting harmony.

India, for its part, has consistently maintained that Jammu and Kashmir, along with Ladakh, are integral and inalienable parts of the country and not subject to negotiation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also reiterated this stance in his address to the nation on May 12, stating that there will be no talks with Pakistan unless they pertain to the return of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) to India.

The conflict began after India launched Operation Sindoor on the night of May 6–7 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians. Indian forces reportedly struck multiple terror-related sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, resulting in over 100 militant casualties.

In retaliation, Pakistan attempted to target several Indian military installations on May 8, 9, and 10.