Shehbaz Sharif expresses willingness for talks with India in Iran
What's the story
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed willingness to hold peace talks with India during a visit to Tehran, Iran, on Monday.
The PM said he was ready to discuss all issues, including Kashmir, terrorism, water disputes, and trade.
"We want to resolve all disputes...through negotiations and are also ready to talk to our neighbor on trade and counter-terrorism," he said at a joint press conference with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
Peace offer
Sharif warns of defense if India remains aggressive
Sharif also warned that if India chose aggression instead of peace talks, Pakistan would defend its territory.
"But if they choose to remain aggressors, then we shall defend our territory...like we have done a few days ago," he said.
He added that accepting his offer would show India's sincerity toward peace.
Rising tensions
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalate
Tensions between India and Pakistan have been high since the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which killed 26 people.
In response, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The hostilities ended with an agreement to stop military actions on May 10.
Following the operation, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has repeatedly said that if there are talks between India and Pakistan, it will only be on terrorism and PoK.
Ceasefire support
Iranian leaders welcome ceasefire, support peace talks
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei welcomed the ceasefire between India and Pakistan. He expressed hope that disputes would be resolved peacefully.
Khamenei stated that Tehran and Islamabad share "warm and brotherly" relations, citing Pakistan's favorable positions during the war on Iran (from 1980 to 1988) as an example of such friendly ties.
He also remarked that Pakistan has taken a "very good and strong" stance on the Palestinian issue in recent years.
Diplomatic visit
Sharif's Iran visit part of 4-nation tour
"There have always been temptations for Muslim countries in recent years to establish relations with the Zionist regime, but Pakistan has never been impacted by these temptations," Khamenei said.
Sharif's visit to Tehran is the second leg of his four-nation tour.
He was received by President Pezeshkian at Saadabad Palace and held talks on enhancing cooperation in trade, investments, and commerce between Pakistan and Iran.