On Wednesday, United States (US) State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller affirmed the country’s support for direct dialogue between India and Pakistan to address issues of concern.
During a press conference in Washington, The Guy inquired about Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s willingness to engage in talks with India on bilateral matters “if India is ready to address serious matters.”
In response, the state department spokesperson reiterated the US’s stance of supporting direct dialogue between India and Pakistan to address any issues of concern between the two nations.
Regarding the possibility of the disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, Miller emphasized that the United States does not take positions to support any specific candidate in foreign countries’ elections. However, he reiterated the US’s commitment to supporting free, open, and fair elections in any country.
A day earlier, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had expressed Pakistan’s readiness to hold talks with its neighbor, seemingly referring to India, to address serious matters, as wars were not seen as a solution to issues.
He conveyed this message while addressing the inaugural session of the “Pakistan Minerals Summit” in Islamabad. PM Shehbaz Sharif emphasized the importance of maintaining friendly ties with all countries for the mutual benefit of their people.
He also lamented that Pakistan had faced three wars in the last 75 years, resulting in increased poverty and lack of resources, which otherwise could have been utilized for the development and prosperity of the people.
The Prime Minister stressed the need for addressing serious issues through genuine discussions and urged the neighboring countries to understand that resolving abnormalities was essential for achieving normalcy in the region.