Pak PM writes to Modi, seeks peaceful and cooperative ties

Pakistan’s new Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking peaceful and cooperative ties, reports The Sunday Express. He said this can be achieved through “meaningful dialogue”.

Sehbaz’s response was in response to Modi’s letter a couple of days ago calling for “constructive engagement.” The two leaders had exchanged messages on Twitter after Shehbaz was elected leader following Imran Khan’s resignation.

The Sunday Express report also said that in the letter received on Saturday, Shehbaz, younger brother of former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, also said Pakistan remains committed to “regional peace and security”.

In New Delhi, officials read the Pakistani response as “positive”, the report added.

This exchange of statements is the first meaningful engagement between the two countries after August 2019 when Article 370 was withdrawn from Jammu & Kashmir State. As of now, the two countries have no full-time High Commissioners in each other’s Capital.

Exchanging pleasantries

On April 11, Modi had congratulated Sharif on his election as Prime Minister. “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,” Modi said in a Twitter post.

Responding to this, Shehbaz tweeted: “Pakistan desires peaceful & cooperative ties with India. Peaceful settlement of outstanding disputes including Jammu & 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.”

With Shehbaz Sharif taking charge, New Delhi is watching developments in Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Lahore with “cautious optimism” for a headway in bilateral ties, The Sunday Express reported and quoted top sources as saying that the change in regime may offer a “diplomatic opening”. According to sources in the strategic establishment, the implications may be far-reaching.

The Sharif family is known to be an advocate of better ties with India.