Ahead Of Trump Meet, Pak PM Shehbaz Ties Peace With India To Kashmir: ‘…Living In Fool’s Paradise’

<p>Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday asserted that long-term peace and improved relations between India and Pakistan are not possible without resolving the Kashmir issue.</p>
<p>Speaking at an Overseas Pakistanis Convention in London, Sharif criticised New Delhi&rsquo;s stance, urging India to engage as &ldquo;a cooperative neighbour rather than a combative one,&rdquo; according to Pakistan-based Dunya News.</p>
<p>&ldquo;If anyone believes that Pakistan-India relations can be established without addressing the Kashmir issue, they are living in a fool&rsquo;s paradise,&rdquo; the prime minister said.</p>
<p>He stressed that Pakistan sought dialogue with India &ldquo;on the basis of equality,&rdquo; noting that both countries had spent billions on wars which could have otherwise been invested in development. &ldquo;Pakistan and India are neighbours &mdash; we must learn to live together. But let me be clear: there can be no normalisation of ties without resolving Kashmir. The blood of the Kashmiri people will not go in vain,&rdquo; Sharif added.</p>
<p>Sharif praised the overseas Pakistani community, especially those based in the United Kingdom, calling them a &ldquo;vital pillar of the nation&rsquo;s economy.&rdquo; He disclosed that overseas Pakistanis had contributed $48.5 billion in remittances this year alone, Dunya News reported.&nbsp;He assured the gathering that his government remained committed to safeguarding the rights of overseas citizens and voicing their concerns at international platforms.</p>
<h3><strong>Shehbaz Sharif’s UNGA Visit, Meeting with Trump</strong></h3>
<p>Sharif is set to travel to the United States on Sunday from London to attend the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York between 22&ndash;26 September. He will be joined by Pakistan Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, other ministers, and senior officials.</p>
<p>According to a statement from Pakistan&rsquo;s Foreign Office, the prime minister will also take part in a meeting of select Muslim leaders with US President Donald Trump on the UNGA sidelines to exchange views on global peace and security.</p>
<p>During his UNGA address on 26 September, Sharif is expected to call upon the international community to resolve &ldquo;prolonged&rdquo; disputes, with particular emphasis on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He will also highlight Pakistan&rsquo;s views on regional security, climate change, terrorism, Islamophobia, and sustainable development.</p>
<p>The Foreign Office said Sharif will attend several high-level sessions, including those of the UN Security Council, the Global Development Initiative, and a Special Event on Climate Action. He will also meet with world leaders and senior UN officials on bilateral and global matters.</p>
<p>&ldquo;The prime minister&rsquo;s participation in this biggest annual gathering of global leaders will showcase Pakistan&rsquo;s strong commitment to multilateralism and the United Nations and to highlight Pakistan&rsquo;s longstanding contribution towards the shared objectives of peace and development,&rdquo; the Foreign Office added.</p>