PM Shehbaz Sharif says willing to talk with India for regional peace

ASTANA: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has favoured peaceful dialogue in resolving conflicts with other countries, including neighbouring India, in a bid to achieve the goals of prosperity of the nations and the region, ARY News reported on Thursday.

The prime minister expressed these remarks while addressing the 6th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Astana, Kazakhstan on Thursday.

The prime minister’s speech focused on peace among nations to hit the goal of prosperity as he addressed the leaders of the multinational forum, gathered to discuss cooperation towards promoting peace, security and stability in Asia.

“We are willing to engage with India for the sake of prosperity and development as both sides of the border cannot afford to deal with massive challenges of poverty and unemployment amid meager resources,” he said.

PM Sharif stressed that the people deserved the resources to be diverted to their education and health. “I want to leave behind a legacy of peace and progress for the prosperity of the coming generations of our region,” he said.

“Pakistan’s first priority at the moment is to revive rapid and equitable economy”. He, however, said, the “onus remains on India to take a necessary step to engage towards the result-oriented solutions.”

PM Shehbaz Sharif highlighted India’s unabated atrocities in Jammu and Kashmir for last seven decades, where he said, that the Kashmiris faced continued denial of their right to self-determination.

He urged other countries to take notice of India’s ‘bullet over ballot’ policy as it blatantly quashed the United Nations Security Council’s resolution on holding a plebiscite in Kashmir. “India has become a threat to its minorities, neighbours and the entire region,” he said.

The premier further said Pakistan was “absolutely ready and willing for a discussion with Indian counterparts to promote trade and investment provided they showed the sincerity of purpose”.

On Afghanistan, he said the four decades of conflict not only took a heavy toll on the country but also upon its neighbouring Pakistan.

Pakistan, he said, suffered immense damage to its peace and security with serious consequences borne in shape of 80,000 casualties and billions of dollars financial losses.

PM Shehbaz Sharif expressed satisfaction that after immense sacrifices, Pakistan had now become able to control extremism and terrorism on its soil besides managing to host four million Afghan refugees.

“Prosperous and stable Afghanistan is not only in the interest of Pakistan, but also to the international community,” the prime minister added.

He also called for pooling resources among the regional countries to address the common challenges in the interest of peace and progress. “If we team our resources, Asia can stand with pride and achievement,” he noted.

He mentioned Pakistan’s location offering a natural bridge among various economies of the region. In this regard, he highlighted the multi-billion dollar project of China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which had transformed the economic and connectivity landscape of the region.

He also invited the CICA member states to consider benefiting from the trade, investment and business opportunities offered by Pakistan.

Speaking of the floods, PM Shehbaz Sharif calls for immediate help to rehabilitate 33 million climate refugees affected by devastating rains and subsequent floods.

He noted that unprecedented rains and subsequent floods, which have submerged one third of Pakistan, are without any doubt the consequence of global warming and climate change.

The premier further said that though Pakistan was responsible for less than one percent of global carbon emissions yet it was amongst the ten top countries most severely impacted by climate change.

Earlier, PM Sharif on his arrival at the Palace of Independence – the venue of CICA summit, was warmly welcomed by Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.