ISTANBUL

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday called for peace in South Asia, after declaring “victory” in May clashes with nuclear-armed rival India.

Crediting US President Donald Trump’s “bold and visionary leadership” for a ceasefire with India, Sharif told the UN General Assembly in New York, “had he not intervened timely and decisively, the consequences of a full-fledged war would have been catastrophic.”

He accused India of seeking to “extract political gains from a human tragedy by spurning my sincere offer of an independent international investigation into the Pahalgam incident.”

At least 26 people were killed on April 22 in a suspected militant attack at the Pahalgam tourist resort in Indian-administered Kashmir.

It led to four-day clashes between India and Pakistan after New Delhi launched missiles into Pakistani territory, leaving dozens of people dead. Later, on May 10, Trump announced a ceasefire, which still holds.

Sharif also thanked China, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Azerbaijan, Iran, the UAE, and the UN secretary-general for “extending their diplomatic support to Pakistan at this crucial time.”

“We have won the war, and now we seek to win peace in our part of the world,” he said.

“Pakistan, stands ready for a composite, comprehensive, and result-oriented dialogue with India on all outstanding issues,” he stressed.

On India's “unilateral and illegal attempt” to hold Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance, he said Pakistan has “made it abundantly clear and let there be no doubt, once again in anybody's mind, we will definitely and ardently defend Inshallah, the inseparable right of our 240 million people on these waters to us any violation of this industry represents an act of war.”

On the Kashmir dispute with India, Sharif said: “I wish to assure the Kashmiri people that I stand with them … the people of Pakistan stand with them.”

“And one day soon, Insha Allah, India's tyranny in Kashmir will come to a grinding halt. Kashmir will gain its fundamental right to self-determination through an impartial plebiscite under the auspices of this very organization, the United Nations,” he said.

On Palestine, Sharif slammed the Israeli leadership for their “blind pursuit” of a shameless campaign against Palestinians, which will be remembered as the “darkest chapter” in human history.

“Pakistan firmly supports the demand of the Palestinian people for the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state with pre-1967 borders and Sharif al-Quds as its capital. Palestine can no longer remain under Israeli shackles. It must be liberated and liberated with full commitment force,” he said.

Sharif addressed the General Assembly soon after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the world body, which saw most of the diplomats boycotting his speech.

“Israel's recent attack on Doha and its continued violations of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of numerous countries are reflective of its rogue behavior,” said Sharif, expressing support for Doha.