Pakistan ready for talks with India on all issues: PM Shehbaz tells Trump aide

Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif, during a phone call with United States (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio, reiterated Pakistan’s willingness to engage in talks with India on all unresolved matters, including Jammu and Kashmir, the Indus Water Treaty, trade, and counter-terrorism.

PM Shehbaz passed these remarks during a telephonic exchange with US Secretary of State, who serves as the principal advisor to US President Donald Trump on all foreign affairs matters, a press statement issued here read.

The prime minister extended his warm regards to US President Donald Trump and commended him for his ‘courageous’ leadership and acknowledged Secretary Rubio’s active diplomacy, which was instrumental in facilitating a ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and India, thus preventing a significant crisis between the two nuclear-armed nations.

PM Shehbaz said that President Trump’s positive remarks about Pakistan are highly encouraging for establishing lasting peace in South Asia, achievable only through meaningful dialogue between Pakistan and India.

The situation in the Middle East, particularly the Iran-Israel crisis, was also discussed, with the prime minister emphasizing the need to find a peaceful resolution to this grave crisis, through dialogue and diplomacy.

PM Shehbaz said Pakistan is ready to play a constructive role in any effort for peace in the current situation, which is deeply worrying, not only for the region, but for the entire world.

While recalling President Trump’s focus on trade, the prime minister said Pakistan and the United States need to work together to advance mutually beneficial cooperation across a wide range of areas, including trade, investment, energy, mining, rare earth metals, and IT.

On security and counter-terrorism, PM Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to deal with the menace of terrorism from the entire country, particularly the threat from BLA, TTP and other militant groups. In this regard, Secretary Rubio appreciated Pakistan’s counter-terrorism efforts and assured Pakistan of full cooperation by the United States in countering all such threats.

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The Prime Minister noted, with great satisfaction, the most cordial and productive discussion between President Trump and Chief of the Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, in Washington, earlier this week.

Both the Prime Minister and Secretary Rubio agreed that talks between their two countries must now be translated into tangible actions, across all areas.

The Prime Minister also stressed upon the need for frequent high-level engagements to build upon this positive momentum in Pakistan-US bilateral relations.

In this regard, he reiterated his invitation to President Trump to undertake an official visit to Pakistan and said that he too, is looking forward to meeting President Trump at his earliest convenience.

POM Shehbaz also reiterated his invitation to Secretary Rubio to visit Pakistan, at an early date.

Thanking the Prime Minister for receiving his telephone call, Secretary Rubio shared his desire to enhance bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and the United States, across all areas of shared interest. He also appreciated Pakistan’s resolve to uphold the ceasefire understanding with India, as well as its sustained efforts for peace in the region.

In this context, he encouraged Pakistan, which enjoys excellent ties with Iran, to continue playing its role in the ongoing peace efforts with Iran.

He further noted that the United States is committed to working closely with Pakistan to promote regional as well as global peace and stability.