New Delhi: As India and Pakistan insist on a “unsettled” ceasefire, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Thursday that he was ready to seek peace but was on the plate with Kashmir. However, Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar explicitly ruled out any talks with Pakistan unless it was a matter of stopping Pakistan-funded terrorism and the return of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK). India has made it clear during Operation Sindor that any communication between the two countries can only be at the level of the Director-General of Military Operations (DGMO) of the two armies, not at any political level.
“We are ready to have a peaceful conversation with it (India),” Mr Sharif said during his visit to Kamla Air Force Base in Punjab Province, Pakistan. He then went on to add that the “peace conditions” include the Kashmir issue.
In itself, India made it clear that Islamabad must remove its terrorist infrastructure, tolerate cross-border terrorism, and hand over to India’s terror terrorists. Meanwhile, India has been paying attention to the development of the Hawk in Pakistan due to suspicion that the understanding between New Delhi and Islamabad last week could be used by Islamabad to supplement its weapons stockpile and terrorists operating from the soil.
New Delhi has made it clear that Operation Sindor is still ongoing and that India will not succumb to any nuclear extortion from Pakistan. India also clearly stated that the Indian Waters Treaty (IWT) related to Pakistan has been on hold until Pakistan’s overseas cross-border terrorism.
In addition, New Delhi is closely watching the role of Pakistan’s close friend Turkey, which is said to target operations Sindoor at terrorist bases within Pakistan, including in Pakistan and in Pakistan’s Punjab.
New Delhi postponed a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan earlier on Thursday, with the new Turkish ambassador designated by the president, among other special envoys, awarding his qualifications to the President Droupadi Murmu.
According to the latest news agency, new envoys from Türkiye, Bangladesh, Thailand, Costa Rica and St. Kitts will introduce their certificates at the ceremony. However, government sources insisted that the ceremony was “delayed due to arrangements.”
