On Friday, August 22, 2025, Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar declared that Pakistan never asked any third party to arrange talks with India. Addressing journalists outside Parliament House in Islamabad, Dar affirmed Pakistan’s willingness to engage in comprehensive dialogue with India on all unresolved issues, including the Kashmir dispute. “We were told to sit down at a neutral location, and I said if that is the case, we are willing to meet,” he said, highlighting Pakistan’s openness to discussions without a single-point agenda like terrorism or Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, as insisted by India.

This clarification follows a tense US-brokered ceasefire on May 10, 2025, which stopped four days of fierce cross-border drone and missile strikes between the nuclear-armed neighbors. India’s Operation Sindoor, targeting alleged terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, sparked the conflict after the April 22 Pahalgam attack, which India blamed on Pakistan—a claim Islamabad firmly rejects. Dar confirmed the ceasefire holds but emphasized Pakistan’s rejection of India’s limited agenda for talks.

No Single-Point Agenda

Dar’s remarks underscore Pakistan’s stance that any dialogue with India must address a broad range of issues, including Kashmir, water rights under the Indus Waters Treaty, and counter-terrorism. India, however, maintains that talks should focus solely on terrorism and the return of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Dar rejected this approach, stating, “Talks, whenever held, will be not just on Kashmir but on all issues.” He also noted that Pakistan received an offer for a meeting at a neutral venue, though he did not specify the source.

In July, Dar expressed similar sentiments at the Atlantic Council, calling for “meaningful negotiations” on trade, counter-terrorism, and Kashmir, while awaiting India’s response. He also highlighted Pakistan’s diplomatic outreach, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s visits to Türkiye, Iran, Azerbaijan, and Tajikistan to thank them for their support during the May conflict.