Pakistan welcomes Indian calls for dialogue, rejects 'warmongering'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday welcomed growing voices in India advocating dialogue with Islamabad, with Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi expressing hope that “warmongering” and hostility in the neighbouring country would gradually subside.

Speaking during the weekly Foreign Office briefing in Islamabad, Andrabi described calls for engagement from within India as a “positive development”, saying Pakistan hoped “sanity will prevail” and pave the way for meaningful dialogue between the two countries.

His remarks came in response to a question regarding statements by former Indian army chief Manoj Naravane and senior RSS figures advocating that communication channels between Islamabad and New Delhi remain open.

Asked about reports of possible backchannel diplomacy between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, Andrabi declined to comment directly, saying such channels by nature remained confidential.

Relations between Pakistan and India sharply deteriorated following the April 2025 attack in Pahalgam in occupied Kashmir, after India blamed Pakistan without presenting evidence. Islamabad rejected the allegations and called for an independent investigation.

The crisis escalated after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty and launched air strikes inside Pakistan on May 6. Pakistan responded with retaliatory military action, including aerial engagements in which several Indian fighter jets were reportedly downed, before a US-brokered ceasefire was reached on May 10.

During the briefing, Andrabi also rejected media interpretations suggesting China had asked Pakistan to “do more” in mediating between the United States and Iran.

Clarifying a recent phone call between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Andrabi said Beijing had appreciated Pakistan’s “constructive mediation role” and fully supported its diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing regional tensions.

He stressed that some reports had “misrepresented” the spirit of the conversation, adding that the exchange was conducted with “traditional warmth and cordiality”.

Pakistan has remained diplomatically active amid rising tensions between Washington and Tehran, maintaining contacts with regional and international stakeholders, including Saudi Arabia, the United States and the United Nations, in an effort to prevent further escalation.

Separately, the Foreign Office confirmed that 10 Pakistani nationals aboard the seized oil tanker MT Honour 25 remained in captivity after Somali pirates hijacked the vessel near Puntland last month.

Andrabi said Pakistani diplomats had travelled to Mogadishu and met Somali officials, who assured them that the crew members were safe and being provided food despite difficult conditions.

He explained that negotiations for the crew’s release were being conducted directly between the pirates and the ship owner, noting that governments typically do not engage directly in piracy ransom negotiations.

The Foreign Office said Pakistan remained in close contact with Somali authorities and was treating the matter as an urgent humanitarian concern.