Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday asserted that long-term peace and improved relations between India and Pakistan are not possible without resolving the Kashmir issue.
Speaking at an Overseas Pakistanis Convention in London, Sharif criticised New Delhi’s stance, urging India to engage as “a cooperative neighbour rather than a combative one,” according to Pakistan-based Dunya News.
“If anyone believes that Pakistan-India relations can be established without addressing the Kashmir issue, they are living in a fool’s paradise,” the prime minister said.
He stressed that Pakistan sought dialogue with India “on the basis of equality,” noting that both countries had spent billions on wars which could have otherwise been invested in development. “Pakistan and India are neighbours — we must learn to live together. But let me be clear: there can be no normalisation of ties without resolving Kashmir. The blood of the Kashmiri people will not go in vain,” Sharif added.
Sharif praised the overseas Pakistani community, especially those based in the United Kingdom, calling them a “vital pillar of the nation’s economy.” He disclosed that overseas Pakistanis had contributed $48.5 billion in remittances this year alone, Dunya News reported. He assured the gathering that his government remained committed to safeguarding the rights of overseas citizens and voicing their concerns at international platforms.
Shehbaz Sharif’s UNGA Visit, Meeting with Trump
Sharif is set to travel to the United States on Sunday from London to attend the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York between 22–26 September. He will be joined by Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, other ministers, and senior officials.
According to a statement from Pakistan’s Foreign Office, the prime minister will also take part in a meeting of select Muslim leaders with US President Donald Trump on the UNGA sidelines to exchange views on global peace and security.
During his UNGA address on 26 September, Sharif is expected to call upon the international community to resolve “prolonged” disputes, with particular emphasis on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He will also highlight Pakistan’s views on regional security, climate change, terrorism, Islamophobia, and sustainable development.
The Foreign Office said Sharif will attend several high-level sessions, including those of the UN Security Council, the Global Development Initiative, and a Special Event on Climate Action. He will also meet with world leaders and senior UN officials on bilateral and global matters.
“The prime minister’s participation in this biggest annual gathering of global leaders will showcase Pakistan’s strong commitment to multilateralism and the United Nations and to highlight Pakistan’s longstanding contribution towards the shared objectives of peace and development,” the Foreign Office added.
