NEW DELHI: The issue of Kashmir figured in the talks visiting Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Mohammad bin Salman in Makkah.
“The two leaders stressed the importance of dialogue between India and Pakistan to resolve the outstanding issues between the two nations, especially for the Jammu and Kashmir dispute to ensure peace and stability in the region,’’ their joint statement released on Monday read after the bilateral talks a day earlier.
The two leaders also discussed the situation in Gaza and supported the peace process in accordance with the resolutions of UN Security Council and the UN General Assembly and the Arab Peace Initiative “for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital”.
New Delhi’s long-held position is that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between India and Pakistan and there is no question of any third party role.
Diplomatic ties between India and Pakistan remain downgraded ever since 2019 after Article 370 that gave J&K special powers was read down. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished his newly elected Pakistani counterpart after the latter assumed power.
Though things haven’t improved on the ground yet, the business community in Pakistan is pressing for resumption of cross-border trade with India. But New Delhi has always maintained that ties with Islamabad can improve only if it stop its terror factory.
Recently, Pakistan denounced defence minister Rajnath Singh’s comment in a televised interview where he said India would track down and liquidate terrorists and even if they manage to cross the border.
These comments came after Pakistan cited a Guardian report alleging that India had killed 20 people in Pakistan since 2020 as part of a broader plan to target terrorists residing in foreign soil.