Pakistan Seeks Dialogue On Kashmir As India Maintains Article 370 Stand

<p>Pakistan on Friday reaffirmed its commitment to peace, regional stability, and meaningful dialogue to resolve all outstanding issues with India, including the long-standing conflict over Jammu and Kashmir. The statement comes amid heightened tensions between the two neighbors following recent border escalations and continued disagreements over the Kashmir issue.</p>
<h2><strong>Pakistan Calls for Dialogue on Kashmir</strong></h2>
<p>During a weekly media briefing, Pakistan foreign office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said, <em>”Pakistan, as a responsible country, remains committed to peace, regional stability and a meaningful dialogue for the resolution of all outstanding issues, including the dispute of Jammu and Kashmir.”</em></p>
<p>Khan also dismissed India&rsquo;s claims regarding an alleged nuclear threat from Pakistan as &ldquo;misleading,&rdquo; according to a report by PTI.</p>
<h2><strong>Reference to Sikh Religious Sites</strong></h2>
<p>Highlighting Pakistan&rsquo;s role as a &ldquo;proud custodian&rdquo; of many Sikh religious sites, Khan said the country welcomes thousands of Sikh pilgrims from around the world every year. <em>&ldquo;As always, we are ready to welcome the pilgrims from the Indian side,&rdquo;</em> he added.</p>
<h2><strong>Sharif Blames Kashmir for India-Pakistan Tensions</strong></h2>
<p>Last month, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Kashmir remains the primary source of friction between the two countries. He criticised India&rsquo;s 2019 decision to revoke Jammu and Kashmir&rsquo;s special status under Article 370, calling it a violation of the will of the Kashmiri people.</p>
<p>India, on the other hand, has repeatedly maintained that Jammu and Kashmir is, and will always remain, an integral part of the country.</p>
<h2><strong>Background: Revocation of Article 370</strong></h2>
<p>In August 2019, the Indian government abrogated Article 370, removing Jammu and Kashmir&rsquo;s special status and reorganizing the state into two Union Territories&mdash;Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.</p>
<p>Pakistan continues to observe August 5 as <em>Youm-i-Istehsal</em> (Day of Exploitation) to protest India&rsquo;s decision.</p>
<h2><strong>Recent Escalations and Operation Sindoor</strong></h2>
<p>Tensions escalated after the April 22 Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed 26 people. In response, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and carried out targeted strikes under <em><a title=”Operation Sindoor” href=”https://news.abplive.com/topic/operation-sindoor” data-type=”interlinkingkeywords”>Operation Sindoor</a></em> on May 7, destroying over 100 terrorist infrastructure sites linked to groups like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba.</p>
<p>Pakistan&rsquo;s attempts at retaliatory operations were largely thwarted by Indian forces. Following four days of intense cross-border fighting, both nations reached a ceasefire understanding on May 10, which has largely held since then.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>