Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif. Photo courtesy: PTI
Recently there was a discussion with former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif The Hindu He expressed hope for improved relations with India and suggested that the two countries should “pick up our conversation threads” and move forward as good neighbours.
Shri Sharif appreciated External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit for Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summitCalled it a positive step. “We wanted Mr Modi to come, but it was good that Mr Jaishankar came,” he said, stressing that dialogue and cooperation should be the way forward.
Mr Sharif reiterated the importance of not letting the next 70 years be influenced by the conflicts of the past. He stressed the need for both India and Pakistan to sit down and discuss their differences and said that no country can change its neighbours. He highlighted the possibility of bilateral cooperation in sectors such as trade, industry and power, reflecting on previous interactions with former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Asked about issues like Kashmir and Article 370, Mr Sharif declined to comment, saying this was not the right occasion to discuss these matters. He urged both sides to put aside their historical grievances and focus on the future, underlining that both countries have immense potential due to their substantial populations.
Recalling the importance of personal gestures in diplomacy, he also spoke about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Pakistan in 2015 And how such moments should not be ignored. Conversely, he expressed disappointment at the tone of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s comments, which he believes have damaged relations between the two countries.
On the subject of cricket, he questioned the current practice of teams from India and Pakistan not playing in each other’s countries despite competing elsewhere globally. He supported the idea of India sending a team to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy and said the sentiment resonated with him.
Mr Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz shared her experience of receiving love and affection from Indian pilgrims during her visit to Kartarpur. He expressed his desire to visit India, especially Punjab, with the leader encouraging him to also visit Himachal Pradesh and Haryana.
Reflecting on his personal ties to India, Mr Sharif recalled a childhood visit to Amritsar with his father in 1964, during which he visited his former family home, now part of a gurudwara.
He concluded by advocating a pragmatic approach to the future, “The past is the past. We must think about the next 75 years,” and urged better relations between the two countries.
published – October 17, 2024 09:08 PM IST