During a special session of the Ajad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Legislative Assembly in Muzaffarabad, which coincided with Pakistan’s annual observance of Kashmir Solidarity Day, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on 5 February 2025 stated that theirs was a country willing to resolve with India all outstanding issues surrounding and, particularly, to address the long-standing Kashmir dispute through meaningful and result-oriented dialogue.
Call for Dialogue
Speaking to the House, he said, “We want Kashmir, along with every other issue, to be addressed through dialogue.”
He urged India to back away from its policies from August 5, 2019, in reference to the repeal of Article 370, which removed the special provisions granted to Jammu and Kashmir.
Sharif asked India to meet its obligations to the United Nations and enter into dialogue to resolve the situation peacefully.
He additionally underscored the Lahore Declaration of 1999, which was an agreement between then-Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee of India and Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan that emphasized dialogue as the primary technique for resolving bilateral matters.
The PM reiterated that peace was the only route for development and opined that rather than a conflict resolution through violence, both countries should put efforts into settling matters via diplomatic means.
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“In my views, there cannot be lasting peace in the region through suppressing the genuine aspirations of the Kashmiri populace,” prayed PM Sharif.
Sharif reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering moral, diplomatic, and political support of Kashmiris in their pursuit of self-determination as embodied in several United Nations Security Council resolutions.
Pakistan on Peace and Defense
While supporting a peaceful resolution through dialogue, PM Sharif added that Pakistan’s yearning for peace should not be misunderstood as weakness.
He categorically asserted that Pakistan would not hesitate to use its full strength to protect national interests, whenever necessary.
“Our capabilities are the pride of our nation…we are ready whenever it comes to our national interest; we will go to the last limit,” he said.
Historical Background and the Current Scene
Relations between India and Pakistan has remained historic. This tension escalated since the unilateral abrogation of Article 370 by India in August 2019.
This once again generated a downturn in the bilateral relations between the two countries, with Pakistan wielding strong objection and calling for the involvement of international forces.
There has been a history of conflict between the two nations regarding the Kashmir region, beginning from their independence in 1947 to fight multiple wars on this count.
In the last few years, the two countries have seen an escalation of a war of words on the international forum. During the UN General Assembly sessions, leaders of both sides get at each other with mutual charges of violence and transgression against human rights.
India has taken a very clear stance that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and also accused Pakistan of cross-border terrorism.
Recently, the statements of PM Shehbaz Sharif highlighted Pakistan’s readiness to talk to India to peacefully sort out long-standing differences, mainly the Kashmir issue.
The emphasis on peaceful negotiations, in line with international calls for peace in the South Asian region, is important. The extent to which dialogue can succeed will, however, depend upon mutual readiness from both countries to address the core issues and build confidence.
With the situation evolving, the international community would follow both the actions of India and Pakistan closely in the hope that they engage in constructive cooperation leading to lasting peace and prosperity in the region.
