Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has once again emphasized that Islamabad is ready to engage in dialogue with India—not only on the Kashmir issue but on all unresolved bilateral disputes. The statement, made three months after the intense military confrontation in May 2025 between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, carries significant diplomatic weight.

Pakistan’s Position: Demand for Composite Dialogue

Speahttps://english.techneandlogos.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/101.jpg to reporters outside Pakistan’s Parliament, Ishaq Dar declared: “If there is dialogue, it should cover all issues, not just Kashmir.”
The framework Pakistan refers to is the Composite Dialogue Process, which includes discussions on Kashmir, cross-border terrorism, trade, water sharing, and even the stalled Indus Waters Treaty.

This dialogue framework was first introduced in 2003 during General Pervez Musharraf’s regime, encompassing topics ranging from Kashmir to cultural exchanges. As recently as July 2025, while addressing the Atlantic Council, Dar had reiterated Pakistan’s willingness to cooperate with India on issues ranging from trade to counterterrorism.

May 2025 Conflict and U.S. Intervention

Dar’s statement comes in the aftermath of the April 22, 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, where 26 innocent Hindu tourists were killed. The Resistance Front (TRF), widely seen as a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba, claimed responsibility.

In retaliation, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, 2025—its largest cross-border military strike since the 1971 war—destroying nine terror camps and infrastructures in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir within just 22 minutes.

Pakistan responded with Operation Bunyan-an-Marsus (“The Wall of Lead”), using drones and ballistic missiles in an attempted strike on Indian airbases. Tensions escalated dangerously until U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance personally intervened by calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio engaged diplomatically with both countries. A ceasefire was finally enforced on May 10, 2025, at 5 PM.

Pakistan’s Claim: India Sought U.S. Mediation

Ishaq Dar recently clarified that Pakistan never sought U.S. mediation. Instead, he claimed it was India that requested American intervention to halt the hostilities. Pakistani officials maintain: “Pakistan never wanted war.” Since then, Director General of Military Operations (DGMO)-level communication has resumed regularly, with the ceasefire still holding.

India’s Response: No Talks Until Terror Ends

India’s stance, however, remains uncompromising. Addressing Parliament, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh stated firmly: “A nation that sponsors terrorism cannot be a partner in dialogue.”

Echoing this, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar declared: “Terrorism and dialogue cannot go together.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi also warned that any future terror attacks would invite “precise and decisive retaliation.”

Deadlock: Dialogue vs. Counter-Terrorism

The situation remains complex. Pakistan insists on broad-based talks covering all disputes, while India restricts the scope strictly to terrorism and security.

Although Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan expressed optimism, noting that Islamabad is “ready to sit with India on all issues,” no political-level dialogue has taken place since the July 2025 ceasefire—only limited military-level communication continues.

For now, the two South Asian nuclear powers remain locked in divergent positions. Pakistan seeks multi-dimensional engagement, whereas India demands tangible action against terrorism before any formal dialogue. A genuine diplomatic breakthrough, therefore, still appears distant.