
LAHORE: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Monday expressed optimism about assembly Indian prime minister Narendra Modi within the close to future as he advocated improved relations with the neighbouring nation.
The PML-N president made these remarks throughout an interview with Indian journalist Barkha Dutt forward of the extremely anticipated Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Islamabad, which Indian International Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is scheduled to attend.
“I’ve at all times been a supporter of excellent relations with India,” Nawaz stated, expressing hope that there was a possibility to revive the connection.
“It will have been a fantastic factor if PM [Narendra] Modi had additionally attended the SCO summit. I do hope that he and us could have a possibility to sit down collectively within the not-so-distant future,” the previous premier stated.
Relations between the 2 nations have gone by intervals of thaw on occasion however have been largely frozen since Pakistan downgraded diplomatic ties in 2019 following abrogation of Article 370 — revoking particular standing of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).
Islamabad has linked its choice to normalising ties with New Delhi with the restoration of the particular standing of the IIOJK.
Regardless of the frosty ties, the 2 nations agreed to resume the 2003 ceasefire settlement alongside the Line of Management (LoC) in February 2021.
Earlier in 2023, Nawaz careworn the necessity to enhance relations with neighbours together with India and Afghanistan, noting that in his tenures two Indian premiers — Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 1999 and Narendra Modi in 2015 — had visited Pakistan.
The PML-N president had additionally congratulated Modi on his re-election because the Indian prime minister for the document third time.
“Your occasion’s success in current elections displays the arrogance of the folks in your management,” he wrote on X.
“Allow us to substitute hate with hope and seize the chance to form the future of the 2 billion folks of South Asia,” he had added.
Modi responded to the message in type, saying: “Recognize your message Nawaz Sharif. The folks of India have at all times stood for peace, safety and progressive concepts. Advancing the well-being and safety of our folks shall at all times stay our precedence.”