Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has renewed his peace overture to India, stressing the 'need for dialogue' on all issues, including the contentious Kashmir dispute.
Speaking on "Kashmir Solidarity Day" during a special session of the Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) Assembly in Muzaffarabad on Wednesday, Sharif called on India to engage in talks to resolve the issues.
"We want all issues, including Kashmir, to be resolved through talks," Sharif said, offering a diplomatic hand amid strained ties between the two nations.
The Pakistani Prime Minister further urged India to move past the developments of August 5, 2019, when India revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status by abrogating Article 370, resulting in the bifurcation of the state into two Union Territories.
Referring to this, Sharif urged India to fulfil promises made to the United Nations and initiate a dialogue.
India, however, maintains that Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh "was, is and shall forever" remain an integral part of the country.
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Relations between the two nations have worsened since the August 2019 decision.
Sharif reiterated that dialogue was the only way for both nations to repair their ties, invoking the Lahore Declaration of 1999, signed during then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's visit to Pakistan.
He also emphasised that the only solution to the Kashmir issue was the "right of self-determination" as per UN resolutions.
Pakistan has repeatedly raised the Kashmir issue at the UN but has been unable to garner wider support, with most members viewing it as a bilateral matter between India and Pakistan.
While India has expressed its willingness for normal relations with Pakistan, it insists that any dialogue must take place in an environment free of terrorism, violence, and hostility.
Sharif also accused India of escalating its military capabilities, warning that this would not bring peace to the region.
He urged India to adopt a "wise" approach, emphasising that peace was the only way forward.
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