Pakistan Prime Minsiter Shehbaz Sharif on Friday said his country was ready to engage in a “composite, comprehensive and result-oriented” dialogue with India.
Addressing the General Debate of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, criticised New Delhi over the situation in Kashmir. He also referred to the ‘Operation Sindoor’ and claimed that “seven of the Indian jets” were damaged during the four-day conflict in May.
The composite dialogue framework, first launched in 2003 under then-president Pervez Musharraf, covered eight key issues between the two neighbours. It collapsed after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and has not been revived in full since.
The Pakistani leader further criticised India’s decision to suspend the Indus Waters Treaty in response to the Pahalgam attack, calling any violation of the treaty “an act of war.”
As in previous years, Sharif used the UN platform to highlight Kashmir, vowing that “Kashmir will gain its fundamental right to self-determination through an impartial plebiscite under the auspices of the United Nations.” He said Pakistan stood firmly with the people of Kashmir.
Sharif also praised U.S. President Donald Trump for his role in defusing tensions between India and Pakistan earlier this year. “In recognition of President Trump’s wonderful and outstanding contribution to promote peace in our part of the world, Pakistan nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. This is the least we could do … I think he truly is a man of peace,” Sharif said.
He added that his recent visit to Washington, accompanied by Field Marshal Asim Munir, included talks with Trump at the White House. Sharif lauded Trump’s “courageous and decisive” leadership in facilitating a ceasefire between the two countries.
On terrorism, Sharif insisted Pakistan condemns extremism in all its forms but accused his country’s rivals of backing militant groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its Majid Brigade.