Pakistan reiterates desire to resolve outstanding issues with India via dialogue
India and Pakistan engaged in the worst fighting between the two countries since 1999, raising fears of the prospects of an all-out nuclear war. After both countries traded heavy fire for four days, pounding each other with missiles, fighter jets and drone strikes, US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between them on May 10.
Speaking to his Malaysian counterpart Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim over the phone, Sharif thanked him for Kuala Lumpur's 'support and balanced stance' during Pakistan's conflict with India.
'The prime minister underscored that Pakistan had always strived for regional peace and stability,' state-run Radio Pakistan said. 'He reiterated that Pakistan was ready for dialogue with India on all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir.'
Sharif separately wrote on social media account X that he looks forward to Islamabad and Kuala Lumpur deepening and strengthening their bilateral ties.
'I greatly look forward to my visit to Malaysia later this year,' he wrote.
Had a warm and most cordial telephone conversation with my brother, Prime Minister Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim @anwaribrahim of Malaysia. We exchanged Eid-ul-Adha greetings and prayed for unity in the Ummah and peace in Gaza.
I thanked Malaysia for its principled stance during the…
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) June 7, 2025
India and Pakistan, bitter rivals since they gained independence in 1947 from British rule, have fought two out of three wars over the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir.
Both countries administer Kashmir in parts but claim the region entirely. Pakistan accuses India of occupying Kashmir and denying its people their right to self-determination. It regularly calls on India to abide by the United Nations Security Council resolutions and hold a transparent plebiscite in the territory.
India, on the other hand, accuses Pakistan of arming and funding militant separatists in the part of Kashmir it administers. Islamabad has denied the allegations and says it extends only diplomatic and moral support to the people of Indian-administered Kashmir.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
25 minutes ago
- Arab News
Pakistan to create digital IDs of citizens in economic transformation push
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will develop digital identities of all its citizens to enable secure and efficient payments, Pakistani state media reported on Sunday, amid the Islamabad's push for economic transformation. The report comes weeks after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed provincial governments to fully cooperate with the center to move the country toward a 'cashless' system as the central government aims to digitize the economy for greater transparency. Pakistan is a cash-dominated market where a significant portion of transactions, particularly in the informal sector, are conducted in cash. In recent years, the country's central bank has taken steps to ensure a transition toward a more cashless economy so that transactions are more traceable, reducing chances of tax evasion and corruption. Pakistan's digital payments have also been on the rise. Since its 2021 launch, the central bank's Raast system has processed over 892 million transactions worth Rs20 trillion ($72 billion) as of July 2025. On Sunday, PM Sharif presided over a review meeting in Islamabad on cashless economy, at which he directed provincial chief secretaries to fully cooperate with the federal government in expanding the Raast digital payment system to the district level. 'The meeting was briefed that Pakistan will develop digital public infrastructure to create digital IDs for every citizen, integrating national Identity Cards, biometrics, and mobile numbers,' the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported. 'These digital IDs will enable secure and efficient payments. It was further said that the provincial governments have shown significant progress in linking government-to-public and public-to-government payments with the Raast system.' Pakistan, a country of over 240 million people, has a vast informal economy and low tax compliance. The government has long identified digitization as a key tool to improve governance, reduce corruption and expand the country's narrow tax base. The government has set an ambitious tax collection target of Rs14,131 billion ($49.46 billion) for the fiscal year 2025-26 (FY26), reflecting a nine-percent increase over last year's goal. Last month, Pakistan launched the Merchant Onboarding Framework that requires banks and payment providers to equip all merchants with Raast-enabled digital payment tools such as QR codes and POS [Point of Sale] systems. In May, the government also approved setting up the Pakistan Digital Assets Authority to regulate blockchain-based financial infrastructure. Speaking at Sunday's meeting, Sharif said his government was working on a priority basis to digitize the economy and transform financial transactions to cashless and digital system. 'Federal development agencies have granted Right of Way for fiber connectivity, while discussions are ongoing with Pakistan Railways and the National Highway Authority to expand digital infrastructure,' the report said, citing officials at the meeting.
Arab News
9 hours ago
- Arab News
UK, Russia offer condolences as Pakistan reels from deadly northern floods
ISLAMABAD: Russian President Vladimir Putin and British Foreign Secretary David Lammy expressed grief over the loss of lives from the recent flooding in Pakistan this week, as monsoon rains triggered flash floods and hill torrents to submerge towns across northern Pakistan. Putin's message came in the form of a condolence letter to his Pakistani counterpart, Asif Ali Zardari, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported on Saturday. The message came as Pakistan's monsoon death toll surged to 645 since late June, with 332 people killed in the past three days amid continuing rains in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. Meanwhile, Lammy contacted Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar to express his sorrow over the floods, Pakistan's foreign affairs ministry said in a statement on Sunday. Dar is in the UK till Aug. 19 to strengthen ties with London and launch a land record project. 'He [Lammy] expressed UK's solidarity with Pakistan in this difficult time and also wished DPM/FM productive engagements during the visit to London,' the Pakistani foreign ministry said. In London, Dar will hold meetings with Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Pakistan Hamish Falconer, in addition to a breakfast meeting with Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey. The UK is among Pakistan's largest bilateral development partners, with cooperation spanning education, health, climate resilience, governance reform and trade. It is home to one of the largest Pakistani diasporas, estimated at over 1.6 million people, who contribute significantly to remittances, business and cultural links. Separately, Putin's message for Zardari also shows growing cooperation between Islamabad and Moscow. Both countries, once Cold War rivals, have deepened cooperation in recent years. In 2023, Islamabad imported discounted Russian crude oil banned in European markets following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Last December, both sides held intergovernmental meetings in Moscow to discuss collaboration on oil and gas exploration and refining. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexei Overchuk described the two countries as 'natural allies' last month, saying Putin viewed Pakistan as a key partner for regional economic and energy development. 'President of Russia Vladimir Putin, in a condolence letter to President Asif Ali Zardari, expressed grief and sorrow over the loss of precious lives in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,' the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Saturday, referring to the worst-hit Pakistani province. As the government strives to take control of the situation, Putin expressed 'heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the families of the deceased and wished a speedy recovery to the injured,' the APP said. 'The Russian President expressed best wishes for the affected families,' it added. Putin and Lammy join a growing list of world leaders extending support to Pakistan amid the tumultuous monsoon season. On Saturday, Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Al-Yahya also called Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to convey Crown Prince Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah's condolences. He assured Pakistan of Kuwait's readiness to offer assistance during this humanitarian crisis. The two diplomats are expected to meet later this month during the Organization of Islamic Cooperation's Council of Foreign Ministers summit in Jeddah.
Arab News
11 hours ago
- Arab News
Pakistan's Sindh orders inquiry after journalist Khawar Hussain found dead in car
KARACHI: The chief minister of Pakistan's southern Sindh province this week directed authorities to investigate the death of local reporter Khawar Hussain, whose body was recovered from a car in the southern city of Sanghar on Saturday night. As per media reports, Hussain's body was recovered from his hometown city of Sanghar outside a local restaurant on Hyderabad Road on Saturday night. News reports said Hussain was found with a gunshot wound to his head. Hussain was a Karachi-based correspondent for Dawn News. News of his death drew condemnations from the Karachi Press Club and senior members of the Sindh government. 'Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has taken notice of the unnatural death of senior journalist Khawar Hussain in Sanghar,' a statement from Murad's spokesperson said on Saturday. 'The chief minister has sought a report from the inspector general of police.' He said Shah had directed the IG to assign the investigation into Hussain's mysterious death to the province's 'best police officer.' 'The real cause of death must be determined through investigation,' Shah was quoted as saying by his spokesperson. Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed grief over Hussain's death. Zardari, whose PPP rules Sindh, directed the provincial government to conduct a transparent inquiry into the journalist's death. 'Journalist Khawar Hussain was a dutiful and responsible professional,' Zardari said as per a statement released by his official residence, Bilawal House. 'His sudden demise is deeply saddening.' Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori also expressed grief over Hussain's death, saying that authorities had been tasked to carry out a probe into the incident. 'Khawar Hussain's murder is a great tragedy for journalism and society,' he added. Karachi Press Club President Fazil Jamili, Secretary Sohail Afzal Khan, and the governing body described the news of Hussain's passing as a 'highly tragic incident,' saying it has left the entire journalist community in 'shock and grief.' 'They demanded that the Sindh government conduct an impartial investigation to uncover the real causes and underlying motives behind his death, and take strict action against those responsible,' the statement said. As per a report released by the Pakistan-based media and development sector watchdog Freedom Network last year, 184 incidents of violence against journalists took place in Sindh between 2018 and 2023. These included the killings of 10 journalists in the province. Pakistani journalists have frequently accused the state and influential politicians of subjecting them to threats, intimidation and harassment for reporting on sensitive topics over the years. These allegations, however, have been denied by the state.
