Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for dialogue on Kashmir and the Indus Waters Treaty, soon after he threatened India with another war.
During his visit to the frontline area of Pasrur Cantonment in Sialkot, which came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Adampur air base, Sharif vainly claimed that Pakistan had ‘avenged’ the 1971 war. This, despite global geopolitical experts claiming that India had a more meaty military accomplishment during the conflict.
Sharif also said Pakistan was ready for war, taking Modi by name. “If you again attack us, you will lose everything,” Sharif said a day after he acknowledged that over 50 people, including 11 soldiers, were killed in Indian action.
He then changed the tone, expressing willingness for dialogue. “We are ready for war and dialogue. Now the choice is yours,” he said. He continued to bring up India’s decision to put in abeyance the Indus Waters Treaty, stating: “Do not dictate us. Water is our red line; don’t even think about diverting our water. Yes, water and blood do not flow together.”
It was then that Sharif claimed India had hit the Neelum-Jhelum water project. “If the damage was severe, we could have destroyed your major dams, including Baglihar Dam,” he bragged. Satellite images show that none of Pakistan’s attacks on India seem to have had any impact.
India has strongly rejected allegations that it targeted a dam near the Neelum-Jhelum project in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK), calling the claims a “blatant lie.”
Sharif then invited PM Modi to “shun differences and sit for a dialogue.” “Let us extinguish this fire. Let us sit together to talk on Kashmir and water,” he added.
Sharif said Pakistan had agreed to the ceasefire understanding in the larger interest of peace in the region, but conveniently omitted how the leadership made panic calls to the US after India hit Nur Khan airbase in Rawalpindi.