ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reaffirmed that Pakistan always has and will continue to promote peace, progress, and prosperity in the region and beyond.
Addressing a ceremony in connection with the United States Independence Day at the US Embassy in Islamabad, the premier said that the recent armed conflict between Pakistan and India, which lasted for four days, established the fact that the ‘Pahalgam incident was a false flag operation’.
“Our sincere offer was responded to with aggression, but Pakistan showed a lot of tolerance and a lot of patience,” he said, adding that on May 6-7, 33 Pakistanis were martyred in the Indian aggression, including children and elders, and scores of others were injured.
PM Shehbaz added that Pakistan, in its right to self-defense, shot down six Indian planes.
Appreciating the role of US President Trump in ensuring a ceasefire, the prime minister said that he had shown beyond any doubt that he ‘is a man for peace, he is a man for promoting peace and beneficial business deals.’
“President Trump is a man against escalation and a man against cold and hot war,” he said, adding that Trump believed in humanity to live in tranquility and contribute towards progress and prosperity, not particularly in one region but globally, as manifested in his statements in the last few weeks.
The US president had advised both Pakistan and India to go for trade, investment, and give up war and de-escalate, he added.
He also lauded the role of the friendly and brotherly countries of the Middle East that proactively coordinated and supported Trump’s genuine efforts and expressed the hope that it would be a long-lasting ceasefire.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also extended heartfelt felicitations to US President Trump and the people of the US, on his behalf and behalf of the Pakistani nation, on celebrating their Independence Day.
He expressed that the bilateral ties between Pakistan were entering into renewed friendship, and the close contacts were coming back again.
Tonight, Pakistani nation joined the US people in paying homage to the US founding fathers, whose foresight and wisdom had changed the course of history, he said, adding that their democratic struggle, rule of constitution and equality equally resonating with the ideals of Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan.
The prime minister also mentioned the Pak- US enjoyed historic, long standing and broad-based ties spanning over centuries. He expressed the hope that Pak-US bilateral trade would grow in volumes in the fields of IT, agriculture, education, health etc as both countries were discussing the tariff issue.
