Pakistan's Water Woes Prompt Shehbaz To Push For Dialogue: ‘Ready To Talk To India'
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As water crisis deepens and pressure mounts at home, Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif signals willingness to engage with India.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday said Pakistan was willing to talk to India to resolve 'longstanding issues," including water security and Kashmir, but India has made it clear that any future dialogue will only be about Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Shehbaz's offer came during his visit to Iran, amid a growing water crisis at home and diplomatic isolation abroad. Speaking at a joint press conference with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran, Shehbaz said Pakistan was ready for dialogue with India 'to find solutions to problems, including Kashmir."
However, India's position has remained firm and consistent. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar have repeatedly said that any future conversation with Pakistan will only be about Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), which remains under illegal occupation despite being an integral part of India.
Speaking at a rally last week in Deshnoke, Rajasthan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a sharp warning to Pakistan, saying that if it continues to export terror, it will end up begging for every penny.
The Prime Minister had said Pakistan will not get a single drop of water that rightfully belongs to India. 'Playing with the blood of Indians will cost Pakistan dearly. This is India's firm resolve, and no global pressure can change that," he told the crowd in Bikaner.
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Location :
Tehran, Iran
First Published:
May 26, 2025, 21:55 IST
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