Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif brings up Kashmir issue in London, speaks on Gaza war

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while addressing the overseas Pakistani community in London, invoked both Kashmir and the ongoing Gaza conflict simultaneously, linking them to peace and justice, reported India Today. He stressed that peace with India could not be achieved without addressing the Kashmir issue and that it was upto India to make efforts to establish peace in the region, the report said.

"India and Pakistan are neighbours and we must learn to live together. But, ties cannot be normalised unless the Kashmir issue is resolved. The blood of the Kashmiris will not go in vain," Sharif has been quoted to say, making it clear that normal relations were off the table without progress on the long-standing dispute.

According to the report, he went further stressed that both the countries cannot have a relationship without taking into account the Kashmir issue. "If anyone believed that India-Pakistan relations could be established without addressing the Kashmir issue, they would be living in a fool's paradise," he remarked.

Sharif accused New Delhi of pursuing confrontation rather than cooperation. "It is upto us if we want to live in peace or continue to fight. It's our wish that we live by loving and respecting each other," he said, while blaming India for adopting what he termed as a combative stance instead of being a cooperative neighbour.

The Pakistani Prime Minister also linked his Kashmir stance to the tragedy in Gaza, stating, "Over 64,000 people have sacrificed their lives in Gaza. Their food and necessities have been stopped. They are unable to earn there as well." He highlighted the humanitarian crisis, saying people were living in famine-like conditions.

Reflecting on the past, Sharif admitted that decades of conflict had come at a heavy price. "We have fought four wars, costing billions of dollars. Those funds should have been used for the development and prosperity of the people of Pakistan," he said, according to the report.

Sharif’s statements come against the backdrop of heightened tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. India responded with stern diplomatic measures against Islamabad, further straining relations.

The situation escalated after India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting key camps of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The late-night strikes killed over 100 terrorists, and both terror groups later admitted to suffering massive losses.

The strikes soon spiralled into a four-day conflict, during which Indian forces destroyed several Pakistani military bases. The fighting only stopped after both sides reached a ceasefire understanding on May 10.

In the aftermath, India hardened its stance, insisting that "terror and talks cannot go together." As part of its measures, New Delhi suspended the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan, declaring it would only consider reinstating the water-sharing agreement once Islamabad took verifiable steps to curb cross-border terrorism.

Islamabad, however, has written to India urging the reinstatement of the treaty, but New Delhi has not responded to those appeals.