Pakistan ready for composite dialogue with India but ‘will not beg,’ says Ishaq Dar

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday that his country was ready for a composite dialogue with India in a dignified and respectful manner on all outstanding issues, including Kashmir.

Ishaq Dar, however, emphasised that “Pakistan will not beg for talks”, news agency PTI reported.

Ishaq Dar was quoted as saying, “Pakistan is ready for a composite dialogue with India in a dignified and respectful manner on all outstanding issues, including the Jammu and Kashmir dispute as per its longstanding position on the matter."

Meanwhile, India has made it clear that it will have a dialogue with Pakistan only on the issues of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and terrorism.

What is India-Pakistan composite dialogue?

The composite dialogue was launched in 2003 when General Pervez Musharraf was ruling Pakistan. It had eight baskets of components, containing all contentious issues between the two countries.

The dialogue was derailed after the 2008 Mumbai attacks and not restored in proper form.

Talking about the conflict between India and Pakistan in May, Ishaq Dar claimed that Pakistan's narrative was accepted and acknowledged at the global level through proactive diplomacy.

Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor

As many as 26 people killed by terrorists as they open fired at tourists in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22. In the targeted attack, terrorists killed male tourists milling around eateries, taking pony rides or just picnicking with their families in the meadow near Pahalgam touted as 'Mini Switzerland' for its serene beauty.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said on Thursday that terrorists chose the picturesque Baisaran meadow as the target for the dastardly attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam due to its high tourists presence and relative isolation.

"Three terrorists" were directly involved in the brutal terror attack in which 26 people were killed in cold blood on April 22, NIA officials told PTI. The target was also chosen considering the "response time" from the security agencies, said a spokesman for the NIA, which is probing the case.

In response to the terror attack, India carried out precision strikes under 'Operation Sindoor' on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir early on May 7.

Following the Indian action, Pakistan attempted to attack Indian military bases on May 8, 9 and 10. The Indian forces launched a fierce counter-attack on several Pakistani military installations.

India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to end the conflict after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.

(With inputs from agencies)