Pakistan PM Shehbaz begs for talk with India as Modi govt continues to punish Pakistan due to...

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday stated that Islamabad is willing for a "meaningful dialogue" with India to resolve all outstanding issues. Sharif made the statement while speaking to  British High Commissioner Jane Marriott, who called on the Prime Minister at the PM House, according to an official statement.

The Prime Minister expressed his appreciation for the UK’s role in de-escalation of tensions during the Pakistan-India standoff and reiterated that Pakistan was ready for a meaningful dialogue with India on all outstanding issues,” according to the statement.

'Only on the PoK issue'

While PM Shehbaz Sharif is trying to nudge India to have a dialogue on the long-standing issues, New Delhi, on the other hand, has made it clear that it will only have a dialogue with Islamabad on the return of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and the issue of terrorism. 

The ties between the two neighbors soured after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which had claimed 26 innocent lives. India, in retaliation, launched 'Operation Sindoor', destroying nine terror camps operating in Pakistan's Punjab province and Pak-occupied-Kashmir (PoK). 

Pakistan, again, directed attacks towards the Indian bordering states, including Rajasthan, Punjab, and Jammu and Kashmir, killing more than 15 people. The three-day-long hostilities ended on May 10 with a ceasefire deal between the two nations. 

The untold story of betrayal

Pertinent to note that several Pakistani leaders, including PM Shehbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto, have expressed their desire to have talks with India after the Pahalgam issue, but India is reluctant, especially after the horrific Pahalgam attack. Why? The reason lies in Pakistan's long list of betrayals. 

Starting with the 1999 Kargil War--a few months before the war, the then Nawaz Sharif government had had talks with its Indian counterpart, the PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government. However, India was stabbed in the back at the hands of its neighbour, and the Kargil war happened. 

In 2001, India and Pakistan held a dialogue at the Agra Summit. It was the same year when India witnessed one of the worst terror attacks -- the 2001 Parliament attack. After this, the Mumbai 26/11 attack, Uri 2016, and Pulwama 2019 followed. This time, New Delhi remains firm in its stance -- "terror and talks can't go together".