Former Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that the historic meeting between the leaders of Cold War foes US and North Korea earlier in the day can be a precedent for Pakistan and India to talk out their hostilities and pave the way for lasting regional peace.

US President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong Un had concluded an extraordinary nuclear summit by signing a document in which Trump pledged "security guarantees" to the North and Kim reiterated his commitment to "complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula".

Sharif, the PML-N president, in a series of tweets suggested that Pakistan and India should resume their dialogue on Kashmir to settle the long-festering dispute.

"Singapore Summit between the US and North Korea should set a good precedent for Pakistan and India to follow," Sharif wrote.

He reminded netizens that the two countries had been threatening to use nuclear weapons against each other since the Korean War began.

"If the United States and North Korea can return from the brink of a nuclear flashpoint, there is no reason why Pakistan and India cannot do the same," he stressed.

Sharif suggested that the starting point for the South Asian neighbours should be a dialogue on Kashmir, "whose heroic people have resisted and rejected Indian occupation".

"It's time for comprehensive peace talks in our region," he declared, adding that the international community should also focus on the peace process in Afghanistan.

The dialogue between Pakistan and India should also resume, he said, so that "the long-festering Kashmir dispute is resolved in accordance with UN resolutions".

India and Pakistan had announced the resumption of talks under the comprehensive bilateral dialogue format during External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s visit to Islamabad in Dec­ember 2015. However, the dialogue hit a roadblock after the Pathankot terror attack that India blamed on a Pakistan-based terror outfit in 2016.

There has been no formal communication between the two governments since then, although the National Security Advisers of the two countries have held a secret meeting during the period.

Opinion

Seizing the moment

Seizing the moment

The provinces bear the primary responsibility for improving access to family planning services, particularly for poorer families.

Editorial

PIA privatisation
Updated 11 Jul, 2025

PIA privatisation

While it does give the privatisation authorities a much-needed head-start, it will not be sustainable unless preceded by policy and regulatory reforms.
Beyond expectations
11 Jul, 2025

Beyond expectations

THESE are tough times, but the country is lucky enough to still be considered home by a large expatriate workforce,...
Train in vain
11 Jul, 2025

Train in vain

TALK of ‘revival’ of the long-dead Karachi Circular Railway has turned into a running joke for denizens of this...
No negotiations
10 Jul, 2025

No negotiations

IT seems like the appeal from Kot Lakhpat Jail has fallen on deaf ears. “[…] The time for negotiations has...
Speech policing
Updated 10 Jul, 2025

Speech policing

Sweeping accusations have once more exposed just how broadly and arbitrarily Peca is being applied.
Continued detention
10 Jul, 2025

Continued detention

THE continued detention of BYC head Mahrang Baloch and five other activists indicates that the state is uninterested...