ASTANA – Amid tensions between Islamabad and New Delhi, Prime MinisterShehbaz Sharif offered an olive branch to India, saying Pakistan desiredpeaceful relations with all its neighbours.

Addressing the 6th summit of the Conference on Interaction and ConfidenceBuilding Measures in Asia (CICA) in Kazakhstan’s capital, the premierstressed peaceful dialogue in resolving conflicts with other nations,including archrival India.

“We are willing to engage with New Delhi for the sake of prosperity as bothsides of the border cannot afford to deal with massive challenges ofpoverty and unemployment amid meagre resources,” PM Shehbaz said.

He however mentioned that India brings its atrocities in Indian IllegallyOccupied Jammu and Kashmir to a grinding halt a just and lasting peaceremains elusive.

Sharing the previous events, PM said India defied the will of the UnitedNations for decades, saying New Delhi has used repression to silence thevoice of Kashmiris demanding their rights.

He also slammed Indian authorities over inhumane policies in the occupiedregion and mentioned that Modi led administration brandishes the democracyin valley not through the ballot but through its bullet.

His address focused on peace among nations to hit the goal of prosperity asattended the summit to discuss cooperation towards promoting peace,security and stability in Asia.

PM said his country’s location offers a natural bridge among variousregions. In this regard, he highlighted the multi-billion dollar project ofChina Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which had transformed the economicand connectivity landscape of the region.