Sharif makes 'sincere, serious' composite talks offer to India at UNGA

IN his speech at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday extended what he called his "most sincere and serious" offer of a renewed diplomatic engagement with India, proposing a "composite, comprehensive and result-oriented dialogue" to resolve all outstanding issues even as he launched a sharp critique of New Delhi's stance on Kashmir.

- JAYANTH JACOB @ New Delhi

Sharif recalled the decades-old Composite Dialogue framework, originally initiated in 2003 under Gen Pervez Musharraf's military regime. The eight-point dialogue process, which covered contentious issues including Kashmir, trade and counter-terrorism, was suspended following the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Despite intermittent backchannel talks, formal negotiations have not resumed since.