FM Ishaq Dar: Pakistan open to talks, but not begging

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar says Pakistan is open to talks with India, but won't beg for diplomacy, as tensions over Kashmir and water rights remain high.

Pakistan is “ready but not desperate” for dialogue with India, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Wednesday, signaling Islamabad’s willingness to engage but on its own terms — not on New Delhi’s dictated agenda.

The two nuclear-armed neighbors recently came to the brink of another disaster, clashing for four days in their worst military exchange in decades. Fighter jets, drones, missiles, and heavy artillery were deployed before a U.S.-brokered ceasefire came into effect on May 10 — though India denies any third-party involvement.

A deadly attack in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22 that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. India pinned the blame on Pakistan-backed militants — a charge Islamabad categorically denies.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Dar made it clear: Pakistan seeks a comprehensive dialogue — not just India’s preferred one-topic focus on terrorism.

“That’s not on. Nobody else is more serious than us. It takes two to tango,” he said, pushing back on Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar’s remarks that only terrorism should be discussed.

Pakistan is also demanding a discussion on water rights, especially after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, a crucial agreement that ensures irrigation water for over 80% of Pakistan’s agriculture. Islamabad sees this as an alarming provocation and a breach of international commitments.

India, meanwhile, maintains that the only issue left to settle is Pakistan vacating parts of Kashmir - a region both nations claim in full.

Despite the posturing, Dar's message was one of cautious openness: "Whenever they ask for a dialogue, at whatever level, we are ready — but we are not desperate."

As it stands, relations remain frosty. But in Islamabad, the door to diplomacy is open — just not at any cost.

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