Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif expressed concern over the prolonged strain in India-Pakistan relations, calling for renewed efforts to rebuild ties between the two nations. Speaking to a group of Indian journalists on Thursday, Sharif hailed the recent visit of Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar to Islamabad as a “good opening” to break the ice.
Jaishankar’s visit, the first by an Indian foreign minister to Pakistan in nine years, was part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conclave. His 24-hour trip to Islamabad marked a potential shift in diplomatic relations amid years of tensions between the neighboring countries.
Sharif, a three-time prime minister and president of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (N), urged both India and Pakistan to move forward with a positive approach. He fondly recalled Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unexpected visit to Lahore in December 2015, which had briefly raised hopes for improved bilateral ties. However, he expressed disappointment over the subsequent “long pause” in engagement.
“We can’t change our neighbours, neither can Pakistan nor can India. We should live like good neighbours,” the 74-year-old leader remarked, emphasizing the need for constructive dialogue between the two nuclear-armed countries.