During his recent visit to Tehran, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif dropped a line that caught everyone’s attention — Pakistan, he said, is open to talking with India, but only if the conversation is real and honest.
Standing beside Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Shehbaz spoke at a joint press event and said Pakistan had “never closed the door” on dialogue. “We believe in peace with all neighbours, including India,” he said, adding that without resolving the Kashmir issue, there can’t be lasting peace.
This isn’t the first time a Pakistani leader has called for talks, but the setting — Tehran — and the timing make it worth noticing. Iran has always kept ties with both Islamabad and New Delhi and prefers to play peacemaker in the region. Raising the India issue in Tehran, rather than at home or in a western capital, adds weight to the message.
Since India revoked Article 370 in August 2019, which removed the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, relations between the two countries have been stuck. High commissioners were pulled, trade was halted, and direct communication practically stopped. A ceasefire at the Line of Control is still mostly holding, but no real diplomacy has happened.
Shehbaz’s comments don’t mean talks will start tomorrow. India hasn’t responded, and their position remains firm: there won’t be any engagement until Pakistan shows concrete steps against cross-border militancy. But still, putting dialogue back on the table, even conditionally, matters.
In the same press conference, Raisi praised Pakistan’s effort toward peace and said regional players should work together more closely. Both sides talked about strengthening border cooperation, trade routes, and security ties — but it’s Shehbaz’s India remarks that made headlines back home.
Observers believe this was more than a casual remark. Pakistan is under economic pressure and looking to reshape its diplomatic tone. Pushing a peace narrative, even if talks don’t happen, shows the world it wants stability — especially with the IMF, China, and other partners watching.
To be clear, nothing changes on the ground yet. No backchannel has been confirmed, and New Delhi is silent for now. But in a region where dialogue is rare, even a single sentence can mean something. If anything, Shehbaz just reminded everyone that the door isn’t locked — it’s just waiting for someone to knock.
