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PM Shehbaz offers ‘sincere’ talks with India to resolve disputes including Kashmir

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  • PM says human rights violations rampant in IIOJK.
  • Says minorities in India are being persecuted.
  • Says Pakistan, India have to live with each other.

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in an effort to resolve the burning issues with New Delhi, including the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu Kashmir (IIOJK), asked his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to hold serious and sincere talks.

Speaking during an interview with Al Arabiya news channel, the prime minister said: “My message to the Indian leadership and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is that let us sit down on the table and have serious and sincere talks to resolve our burning issues like Kashmir.”

PM Shehbaz said that flagrant human rights violations were taking place day in and day out in the IIOJK, adding that the neighbouring country had usurped any semblance of autonomy given to the Kashmiris according to Article 370 of the Indian Constitution. The autonomy was revoked in August 2019.

The premier also said that the minorities in India were being persecuted. “This must stop so that message can go around the globe that India is ready to have talks.”

PM Shehbaz said Pakistan and India are neighbours and have to live with each other.

“It is up to us to live peacefully and make progress or quarrel with each other, and waste time and resources. We have three wars with India and it only brought more misery, poverty and unemployment to the people. We have learnt our lesson and we want to live in peace provided we are able to resolve our genuine problems.

“We want to alleviate poverty, achieve prosperity, and provide education and health facilities and employment to our people and not waste our resources on bombs and ammunition, that is the message I want to give to Prime Minister Modi,” he added.

The premier remarked that both countries are nuclear powers and armed to teeth. “If God forbid a war breaks out who will live to tell what happened,” he said. 

He said the leadership of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) could play an important role to bring Pakistan and India together, adding he would hold talks with the Indian leadership with the sincerity of purpose.

He said Saudi Arabia was a friendly and brotherly country, and they had unique brotherly relations for centuries.

Before Pakistan came into being and carved out of India, millions of Muslims had brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia and they were visiting Makkah and Madina, he recalled.

UAE second home for Pakistanis

Speaking about his official visit to the UAE, the PM said that the Gulf country was a second home for millions of Pakistanis and as prime minister. 

He said that UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was an affectionate brother and great supporter of Pakistan and wanted the people of Pakistan to progress and become prosperous. 

“Leadership of Pakistan and Gulf countries have resolved to cooperate with each other in the realm of trade and culture and project Islam as a religion of peace and shun all forms of terrorism. We are working together as strategic partners.”

The prime minister said Pakistan’s woes and difficulties would not have decreased without the tangible and substantial support of the brotherly Gulf countries and Saudi Arabia, who were reliable and trustworthy partners.

He said the Pakistani nation was resilient and brave, and it would stand on its own feet by promoting trade and investment.

To a question, he said the survival of the world lay in co-existence and what was happening in eastern Europe had devastated the world and commodity prices had skyrocketed.

PTI rejects premier’s offer for talks

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry expressed shock at PM Shehbaz’s statement, saying that the party “strongly rejects” the premier’s approach to hold talks with the Indian prime minister. 

Chaudhry said that the prime minister “cannot be allowed to sell Kashmir”. He stressed that the Modi leadership reserve the constitutional position of Kashmir to its original.

‘No talks sans restoration of IIOJK’s special status’

Later, Prime Minister’s Office spokesperson issued a clarification on the PM’s statement, saying that the premier has “repeatedly stated on record that talks can only take place after India has reversed its illegal action of August 5, 2019”.

“Without India’s revocation of this step, negotiations are not possible,” the PMO spokesperson said in a statement issued on Twitter, adding that the premier had made his position very clear in his interview with Al Arabiya.

The PMO spokesperson stated that PM Shehbaz Sharif has always highlighted the resolution of Kashmir issue between Pakistan and India via “dialogue and peaceful means”.

“In reference to PM Shehbaz Sharif’s interview to Al Arabiya, the spokesman of the PM Office has said the PM has consistently maintained that Pakistan and India must resolve their bilateral issues, especially the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir, through dialogue and peaceful means,” the tweet read.

It further stated that the Kashmir dispute must be settled as per the United Nations resolutions and “aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir”.

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Weather update: Lahore and other Punjabi cities are expected to have rain.

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According to the Met Department, Islamabad and the surrounding areas will get partly overcast weather with a risk of rain.

There will be a brief break from the dry weather in some places due to light rain, a representative said.

Parts of Punjab, however, are probably going to continue to have fog and pollution. Heavy haze and fog are predicted in Sargodha, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, Multan, and Rahim Yar Khan, while major towns impacted include Lahore, Kasur, Okara, Sialkot, Hafizabad, Narowal, and Gujranwala.

Because visibility may be poor in some places, residents and travelers have been warned to exercise caution.

The prognosis also suggests that places like Lahore, Attock, Murree, and Rawalpindi may get overnight rain. Additionally, northern regions including Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Peshawar, and Kohat are predicted to see rainfall.

With no notable change anticipated in the upcoming days, Sindh and Balochistan, on the other hand, are likely to continue to see hot and dry weather.

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14 are detained by Punjab police in an anti-smog operation.

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14 people were detained and 91 FIRs were lodged in the last 24 hours, according to a Punjab police spokeswoman.

Furthermore, for failing to follow the SOPs, 458 people received fines totaling 8.28 lacs, and 33 more received warnings.

According to the spokeswoman, 359 cases involving smoke-emitting cars and 38 reports of crop residue burning were reported.

In addition, there were 24 other recorded breaches, 27 pertaining to brick kilns, and 3 cases of industrial activity infractions.

There are 2627 cases against the 2161 people who were arrested for violating government SOPs.

21924 people have been fined more than 5 crore 9 lacs, according to the Punjab police.

An increased crackdown has been ordered by the Inspector General of Police (IG) to shield the public from smog.

Sardar Saleem Haider Khan, the governor of Punjab, has also called for the province to declare an emergency due to the deteriorating smog.

According to the governor, air pollution in the majority of the province’s districts has gotten out of hand. “There are a lot of people who are ill and getting admitted to hospitals,” he stated.

According to Sardar Saleem Haider, closing educational institutions, entertainment parks, and colleges couldn’t provide fruitful outcomes. “Traders oppose markets being closed by 8:00 PM.”

He said that majority of Punjab’s districts and Lahore are experiencing an increase in pollution. He suggested declaring a short-term emergency to stop smog.

The governor went on to say, “To control the smog, the institutions must agree.”

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41.91 million Train travel by Pakistanis in 2023–2024

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Around 41.91 million people rode trains in 2023–2024, according to Pakistan Railways, an increase of 6.51 million from the 35.40 million passengers in 2022–2023.

In fiscal year 2023-24, passenger earnings remained at Rs. 47.712 billion, exceeding the budgetary objective by Rs. 8.712 billion, according to figures supplied by Pakistan Railways. Additionally, earnings have increased by Rs. 13.799 billion more than they did in the preceding fiscal year, 2022–2023.

The report also showed that in fiscal year 2023-24, the total revenue from other sources, including scrap, property and land, military traffic, and freight, was Rs. 39.803 billion.

The administrators of Pakistan Railways are optimistic that a further increase in railway passenger volume is in store for the coming year.

“The department has made special arrangements to facilitate passengers at stations and in trains en route, including modern dining cars, mobile charging sockets in coaches, and water dispensers in coaches to provide passengers with clean drinking water,” the statement continued.

The Pakistan Railways department has also constructed information desks to assist and guide passengers, digital display boards to show train arrivals and departures, ticket vending machines (TVM) to sell tickets, and ramps and wheelchairs for those with disabilities.

Pakistan Railways is implementing various measures to increase train punctuality, including removing speed restrictions through special track maintenance, improving the signaling system through computerized interlocking and solar system installation, removing locomotive failures through timely maintenance, and introducing new passenger coaches.

In order to handle passenger complaints, the department has set up a cutting-edge call center under the Railway Automated Booking and Travelling Assistance (RABTA) program. In addition, a complaint register is available at stations and on trains, and passengers can file their grievances online at Pakistan Railways.

Contractors who are discovered to be selling inferior goods face fines and warnings. The contractor’s contract with Pakistan Railways is terminated when three fines are received,” it continued.

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