SHEHBAZ SHARIF
In his congratulatory message on Twitter, Modi had added that India “desires peace and stability in a region free of terror, so that we can focus on our development challenges and ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people”.
Sharif was elected premier during a parliamentary vote boycotted by more than 100 MPs from former prime minister Imran Khan’s party. He subsequently took the oath of office on Monday night.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Modi were among the first world leaders to felicitate Sharif after his election on Monday.
While speaking in Pakistan’s National Assembly after his election, Sharif laid out Pakistan’s standard position of raising the Kashmir issue at international forums and offering diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiri people. However, he devoted more time to India in the foreign policy segment of his speech than any other country, including China and the US.
“We desire good relations with India but there cannot be lasting peace till the equitable resolution of the Kashmir issue,” he said, speaking in Urdu.
“I would give Prime Minister Modi this advice that you should understand about the poverty, unemployment [and] sickness on both sides. People don’t have medicines, education, trade or jobs. Why do we want to cause harm to ourselves and the coming generations?” he said.
“Come, let us decide the Kashmir issue according to UN resolutions and the wishes of the
Kashmiri people and end poverty on both sides and create jobs, and bring progress and prosperity.”
The two countries have not had any structured dialogue since the 2008 Mumbai attacks by Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba. Pakistan snapped virtually all ties and downgraded diplomatic relations after India scrapped the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019.
Back channel contacts between senior Indian and Pakistani
security officials resulted in the two countries reviving the ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC) in February 2021, ending years of skirmishes involving artillery, mortars and small arms.
Former prime minister Imran Khan made repeated personal attacks on Modi even as relations were at an all time low. The latest messages between the two prime ministers showed the two sides were sticking to their stated positions on Kashmir and terrorism.