Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif wants peace with India — but puts Kashmir condition

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday (May 15) extended an offer of dialogue to India, expressing his government’s willingness to engage “for peace”, but tied the proposal to the Kashmir issue, insisting it remain central to any future talks.

“We are ready to talk with it [India] for peace,” Shehbaz said during a visit to the Pakistan Air Force base in Kamra, Punjab, PTI reported.

Peace talks tied to Kashmir

However, Shehbaz Sharif linked the peace offer to Kashmir, reinforcing Pakistan's position that Kashmir must be central to any future negotiations.

India sticks to firm position on Kashmir, PoK

India has reaffirmed its unwavering position on Kashmir and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on May 13: “Sometimes, the Kashmir issue is brought up. The only thing that remains to be discussed on Kashmir is the vacation of illegally occupied Indian territory in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir. We are open to discussing that with Pakistan. I want to spell out our position very clearly... the government’s position is very, very clear.”

India has also consistently maintained that Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are integral parts of the country and not up for negotiation.

Ceasefire understanding

The visits come days after a ceasefire understanding reached between India and Pakistan on May 10 after four days of high-intensity cross-border exchanges.

Operation Sindoor: India’s response to Pahalgam attack

Tensions escalated sharply after India launched Operation Sindoor on the night of May 6-7 in retaliation for the Pakistan-backed Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, that killed 26 people. Indian forces targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, reportedly killing over 100 terrorists.

Pakistan’s counter-attacks and India’s retaliation

Pakistan attempted to retaliate by targeting multiple Indian military bases on May 8, 9, and 10. India responded with precision strikes.

While Shehbaz Sharif’s peace overture could mark a diplomatic shift, his condition on Kashmir — suggest that a breakthrough remains unlikely.