Islamabad, May 16: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday extended an offer of talks to India, saying Pakistan is ready to engage “for peace”.
Shehbaz made the comments during a visit to the Kamra air base in the country’s Punjab province where he interacted with officers and soldiers involved in the recent military confrontation with India.
“We are ready to talk with it (India) for peace,” he said.
The prime minister added that the “conditions for peace” include the Kashmir issue.
India has maintained that the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh “are and always will be integral and inalienable parts of it”.
Shehbaz was accompanied to the airbase by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Army Chief General Asim Munir, Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu.
This was the prime minister’s second visit to a defence facility following the understanding reached between India and Pakistan India on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.
India launched Operation Sindoor on the intervening night of May 6 and 7 to avenge the killings of 26 people in the Pahalgam terror attack.
Indian armed forces targeted nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, killing over 100 terrorists.
Pakistan then attempted to attack several Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10.
The Indian armed forces launched a fierce counter-attack on several Pakistani military installations, including Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur and Chunian.
On Wednesday, Shehbaz visited Pasrur Cantonment in Sialkot where he interacted with soldiers. (PTI)
