Pakistan says US decision to lift Syria sanctions ‘pivotal step’ for regional stability

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to a recently agreed ceasefire with India but stressed that lasting peace in South Asia would only be possible through the resolution of the Kashmir dispute in line with UN Security Council resolutions.

Sharif made the statement during a phone call with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, days after cross-border hostilities between India and Pakistan were halted under a ceasefire announced by US President Donald Trump.

According to an official statement, Sharif said his country had accepted ceasefire in the interest of regional peace but warned that it remained prepared to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of another attack.

“The Jammu and Kashmir dispute is the root cause of instability in South Asia, which should be resolved in accordance with the UN Security Council’s resolutions,” he said, according to the Prime Minister’s Office.

He also expressed concern over recent “provocative statements” by Indian leaders following the agreement.

Sharif thanked Azerbaijan for its stance on Kashmir and reiterated Pakistan’s appreciation for the solidarity shown by its leadership and people during the recent standoff.

The two leaders also discussed bilateral ties, with the Pakistani prime minister welcoming progress on proposals for up to $2 billion in Azerbaijani investments in Pakistan across multiple sectors.

He said Islamabad was committed to transforming its relations with Baku into a mutually beneficial economic partnership.

President Aliyev congratulated Sharif on Pakistan’s handling of the recent crisis and expressed support for the ceasefire agreement.

He reaffirmed Azerbaijan’s commitment to strengthening bilateral cooperation.

The Pakistani premier extended an invitation to Aliyev to undertake an official visit to Pakistan, which the Azerbaijani leader accepted.

ISLAMABAD: The foreign office on Thursday “strongly” condemned remarks by the Indian defense minister that the International Atomic Energy Agency should take charge of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, calling them “irresponsible” and reflecting New Delhi’s “ignorance” about the mandate of the UN watchdog.

Deadly fighting broke out between the old enemies last week after India struck what it said were “terrorist camps” in Pakistan in retaliation for an attack in Indian-administered Kashmir last month that killed 26. New Delhi said the assault was backed by Pakistan.

Islamabad had denied the allegations and both countries sent missiles and drones into each other’s airspace in the days that followed, before they reached a truce on Saturday.

“Are nuclear weapons safe in the hands of such an irresponsible and rogue nation?” Rajnath Singh said while addressing soldiers in Indian-administered Kashmir’s summer capital of Srinagar. “I believe that Pakistan’s nuclear weapons should be taken under the supervision of IAEA.”

In response, the Pakistan foreign office said India’s “irresponsible remarks reveal his profound insecurity and frustration regarding Pakistan’s effective defense and deterrence against Indian aggression through conventional means.”

“Pakistan’s conventional capabilities are adequate to deter India, without the self-imposed ‘nuclear blackmail’ that New Delhi suffers,” the FO statement said. “The comments of India’s Defense Minister also show his sheer ignorance of the mandate and responsibilities of a specialized agency of the United Nations like the IAEA.”

The IAEA is a Vienna-based UN watchdog that monitors nuclear programs to ensure they are peaceful.

India and Pakistan became nuclear powers after they conducted tit-for-tat nuclear tests in 1998 and their decades-old animosity has made the region — the world’s most populous — one of its most dangerous nuclear flashpoints.

The latest military conflict between the South Asian neighbors spiraled alarmingly on Saturday and there were briefly fears that nuclear arsenals might come into play as Pakistan’s military said a top body overseeing its nuclear weapons would meet.

But the Pakistani defense minister said no such meeting was scheduled.

Military analysts said this may have been Pakistan’s way of hinting at its nuclear option as Islamabad has a “first-use” policy if its existence is under threat in a conflict.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday India would strike at “terrorist hideouts” across the border again if there were new attacks on India and would not be deterred by what he called Islamabad’s “nuclear blackmail.”

Pakistan rejected Modi’s statements as being “provocative and inflammatory,” saying it represented a dangerous escalation.

Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan have fought three wars in the past, two of them over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, which they both claim in full but rule in part.

India also blames Pakistan for supporting militants battling security forces in its part of Kashmir, but Islamabad denies the accusation.

With inputs from Reuters