The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Saturday that Pakistan and India, two nuclear-armed neighbors, have no choice but to coexist, urging New Delhi to decide whether to remain hostile or pursue peace.
“Any talks with India must be fair,” Sharif told a packed hall of overseas Pakistanis in London, where he also discussed Pakistan’s development goals, global challenges and recent achievements.
The prime minister reminded the audience that Pakistan and India have fought four wars, costing billions of dollars. “That money should have been spent on schools, hospitals, roads, and improving the lives of ordinary citizens,” he said.
Sharif stressed that relations cannot move forward without resolving the Kashmir issue, adding: “Billions of dollars spent on wars between Pakistan and India should be spent on the development and prosperity of people. Ceasefire [with India] has been reached. We now want peace.”
His remarks came in the aftermath of a brief but deadly military conflict between Pakistan and India in May, following what Islamabad called “unprovoked” Indian missile strikes on Pakistani territory.
The Pakistan Army responded with a retaliatory operation, codenamed Bunyan-um-Marsoos (Iron Wall), after New Delhi accused Islamabad of involvement in an April attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir’s Pahalgam region.
The 87-hour conflict caused heavy losses on both sides and stoked fears of nuclear escalation. Pakistan said its air force downed six Indian fighter jets, including French-made Rafales, while defending its territory. A ceasefire was eventually brokered by the United States.
Reiterating Pakistan’s stance that it had no role in the Pahalgam attack, Sharif recalled that Islamabad had offered a transparent investigation. He accused India of rejecting the offer and killing 54 people, including worshippers in mosques, during strikes on May 6.
“Our air force shot down the enemy’s planes. The enemy knew its fate within a few hours,” he said.
On Kashmir, Sharif vowed that the “blood of millions of Kashmiris would not go in vain,” pledging continued support for their cause.
