ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has asked his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to hold “serious and sincere” talks to resolve burning issues, including Kashmir.

“My message to the Indian leadership and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is that let us sit down on the table and have serious and sincere talks to resolve our burning issues like Kashmir,” the prime minister said in an interview with Al Arabiya news channel, aired on Monday.

In Kashmir, flagrant human rights violations were taking place day in and day out, he said, adding that India had “usurped any semblance” of autonomy, given to the Kashmiris According to Article 370 (temporary provisions with respect to the State of Jammu and Kashmir) of the Indian Constitution. The autonomy was revoked in August 2019.

“Minorities in India were being persecuted,” he said, “This must stop so that message can go around the globe that India is ready to have talks.”

Shehbaz said India and Pakistan were neighbours and they had to live with each other.

“It is up to us to live peacefully and make progress or quarrel with each other, and waste time and resources. We have three wars with India and it only brought more misery, poverty and unemployment to the people. We have learnt our lesson and we want to live in peace provided we are able to resolve our genuine problems.”

He went on to add that both the countries wanted to alleviate poverty, achieve prosperity, and provide education and health facilities and employment to the people and not waste resources on bombs and ammunition. “That is the message I want to give to Prime Minister Modi,” he added.

“We are nuclear powers, armed to the teeth and if God forbid a war breaks out who will live to tell what happened,” he said.

The premier was of the view that the United Arab Emirates leadership could play an important role to bring India and Pakistan together, adding that he would hold talks with the Indian leadership with the “sincerity of purpose”.

He described Saudi Arabia as a “friendly and brotherly country” and they had “unique” brotherly relations for centuries.

“Before Pakistan came into being and carved out of India, millions of Muslims had brotherly relations with Saudi Arabia and they were visiting Makkah and Medina,” he said.

PM Shehbaz said the UAE was a “second home for millions of Pakistanis” and as prime minister, he had undertaken a visit to the country.

He said Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed was an “affectionate brother and great supporter” of Pakistan and wanted the people of Pakistan to progress and become prosperous. “Sheikh Zayed Al Nahyan is also a great friend of Pakistan and Pakistan was in his soul.”

The leadership of Pakistan and Gulf countries were working together as strategic partners, the premier said.

He claimed that Pakistan’s difficulties would not have decreased without the tangible and substantial support of the brotherly Gulf countries and Saudi Arabia. “The Pakistani nation is resilient and brave, and it will stand on its own feet by promoting trade and investment.”

To a question, he said the survival of the world lay in co-existence and what was happening in Eastern Europe had “devastated the world and commodity prices had” skyrocketed.