Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said Saturday Pakistan is ready to hold dialogue with India if New Delhi is serious about resolving the Kashmir issue.

Pakistan had offered holding of talks on outstanding issues several times but India did not reciprocate, he said while talking to reporters in Baku before wrapping up a three-day visit to Azerbaijan.

He said Kashmir was main cause of unrest in the region and India must show seriousness for resolution of the issue and honour its commitment under United Nations Security Council Resolutions.

See: Pakistan and India: The art of peace

Pakistan was committed to peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue, he added.

The premier regretted Indian allegations that blamed Pakistan for the attack on an Indian army base camp in Uri.

He said India levelled allegations against Pakistan within six hours of the Uri incident, and reiterated that no infiltration took place across the Line of Control (LoC).

The prime minister said his government had introduced a new culture of political tolerance in the country as they respected mandate of every party.

“The PPP formed government in Sindh and we respected it. Similarly we have respected MQM as an opposition party. Even when unethical language was used in KPK we also respected the public mandate there,” he added.

He vowed to take the country to path of progress and prosperity, despite "certain elements' plans to shut the country".

Soaring tensions

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's statement comes as tensions simmer between Pakistan and India over the Kashmir issue.

Last month, India initiated a diplomatic drive to isolate Pakistan after blaming it for the Sept 18 attack on the Uri army camp which killed 18 soldiers ─ a claim which Pakistan has rejected.

Pakistan also rubbished India's claim that it carried out "surgical strikes" on militants across the LoC.

Tensions between the South Asian rivals have been high since an Indian crackdown on dissent in India-held Kashmir following the killing by Indian forces of Burhan Wani, a young separatist leader, in July. More than 100 civilians have been killed and thousands injured in protests against Indian rule that followed.

India pulled out of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit scheduled to be held in November in Islamabad. Several other Saarc members followed suit, leading to the postponement of the summit.