Islamabad: Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s congratulatory remarks in a tweet and said that Pakistan desires peaceful and cooperative ties with India.
Sharif’s tweet comes almost a day after PM Modi’s congratulatory message. “Thank you Premier Narendra Modi for felicitations. Pakistan desires peaceful and cooperative ties with India. Peaceful settlement of outstanding disputes including Jammu and Kashmir is indispensable. Pakistan’s sacrifices in fighting terrorism are well-known. Let’s secure peace and focus on socio-economic development of our people,” Sharif said in a tweet.
Earlier on Monday, Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of Nawaz Sharif, was elected unopposed as the prime minister of Pakistan following weeks of drama over a no-confidence motion. Soon after his election, PM Modi congratulated Shehbaz Sharif in a tweet. “Congratulations to H. E. Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on his election as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. 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,” PM Modi tweeted.
India can, however, look at Sharif’s tenure with cautious optimism. Shehbaz Sharif was also the former chief minister of Punjab and is known in Pakistan’s political circles as an able administrator. He also has acted secularly when minorities have been attacked in Pakistan, especially during the Khanewal mob lynching case. He also wishes the Hindu community on festivals like he did during Holi this year.
Nawaz Sharif, the former Pakistan PM and his elder brother batted for better India-Pakistan ties and even hosted PM Modi but the Pakistan deep state, led by the Pakistan Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), spoiled the attempt at developing bilateral ties when in 2016 the Pathankot airbase was attacked by Pakistan sponsored-terrorists. Nawaz Sharif was also keen on hosting industrialists from India and hosted Indian steel magnate Sajjan Jindal in 2017 but instead of helping boost economic ties the Pakistan army followed by helping the opposition mount criticism on the PML-N government for conducting a meeting, which could have helped rebuild ties.
The Sharifs have batted for amicable ties between New Delhi and Islamabad but whether it will bow down to the whims of the ISI and the Pakistan Army remains to be seen.
