: Want permanent peace with India; war never an option to resolve Kashmir issue: Pak PM Sharif #IndiaNEWS #International Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that Pakistan wants to have

Want permanent peace with India; war never an option to resolve Kashmir issue: Pak PM Sharif #IndiaNEWS #International
Islamabad: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that Pakistan wants to have permanent peace with India through dialogue as war is not an option for either of the countries to resolve the Kashmir issue, according to a media report Saturday.
Speaking to a delegation of students from Harvard University, Sharif also said that sustainable peace in the region was linked to the resolution of the Kashmir issue as per the UN resolutions, The News International newspaper reported.
“Pakistan resolves to maintain peace in the region, and that sustainable peace in the region was linked to the resolution of the Kashmir issue as per the UN resolutions,�? he said during the interaction on Friday evening.
“We want permanent peace with India through dialogue as war is not an option for either of the countries,�? he was quoted as saying in the report.
Relations between India and Pakistan have often been strained over the Kashmir issue and cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
However, the ties between the two countries nosedived after India abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution, revoking the special status to Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcating the state into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019.
Indias decision evoked strong reactions from Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian envoy.
India has repeatedly told Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and shall forever�? remain an integral part of the country.
India has said it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence.
During the interaction, Sharif pointed out that Islamabad and New Delhi should have competition in trade, economy and improving the conditions of their people.
He said Pakistan was not an aggressor, but its nuclear assets and the trained army are deterrence, he said, adding that Islamabad spends on its military to protect their frontiers and not for aggression.
In response to a question about Pakistans economy and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme, the premier said that the countrys economic crisis stem from structural problems along with political instability in the recent decades.
He said the first few decades since the inception of Pakistan witnessed impressive growth across all sectors of the economy when there were plans, national will and the implementation mechanism to produce outcomes.
“Overtime, we lost the edge in sectors in which we were ahead. The lack of focus, energy and policy action led to reduction in national productivity,�? Sharif added.
Cash-starved Pakistan is facing growing economic challenges, with high inflation, sliding forex reserves, a widening current account deficit and a depreciating currency.