"There has to be an agreement from the Indian side to start the dialogue. We are ready whenever India is ready. We are ready tomorrow, we are ready today, we are ready just now for talks with India on any issue they want," Khalillulah indicated.
The ambassador pointed to the fact that Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan had made numerous attempts to contact his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, which had gone unheeded by the Indian party.
READ MORE: WATCH Footage of Handover of IAF Pilot Captured by Pakistan to India
On Indian Pilot's Release
According to the ambassador, the release of Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman by Pakistan, who was taken into custody the day before, following an aerial skirmish over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, shows the country’s commitment to peace and de-escalation.
"Pakistan has captured an Indian Air Force pilot, because we shot down their aircraft when they violated our airspace… He is being released and he is being handed over to the Indian authorities at our border. So that shows that we care for the people of India, we are a peace-loving country, we are trying to deescalate the situation," Khalillulah said.
The Indian airstrike came after a deadly attack by Jaish-e-Mohammad on the Indian paramilitary police force in Kashmir in mid-February. While India has accused Pakistan of supporting the militants and having a "direct hand" in the incident, Pakistan, in turn, has rejected the allegations, accusing India of being responsible for human rights violations taking place in Kashmir.
