Pakistan’s president has urged India to resume peace talks while underscoring Pakistan’s military readiness following recent cross-border clashes with Afghanistan. In a speech to parliament on Monday, President Asif Ali Zardari positioned negotiation as the sole path to regional security, stating, “For us, war is always the last option.” He added that Pakistan has only shown “a fraction” of its capabilities to both India and Afghanistan, cautioning, “No state accepts serial attacks on its soil.”
His address followed heavy fighting along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Islamabad reported launching airstrikes and artillery fire on Friday in response to an Afghan Taliban attack that killed two Pakistani soldiers. Pakistan claimed the clash resulted in 1,000 Afghan casualties and described it as an “expression of our national resolve.” Sporadic exchanges between the two neighbours have persisted since October 2025.
Zardari directly appealed to New Delhi, calling for a shift “from war theatres to meaningful negotiating tables.” He reaffirmed Pakistan’s diplomatic support for Kashmir, stating India must “listen to us attentively” on the issue. Pakistan claims the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir in full, though it administers about 30% of the area; India controls roughly 55%, and China holds the remainder.
The president’s remarks come amid strained India-Pakistan relations. Last May, the two countries engaged in a four-day military confrontation after a terrorist attack in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir killed
