‘Sit down and discuss...,’ Ex-Pak PM Nawaz Sharif’s friendly overture to India after Jaishankar’s visit

Former prime minister and chief of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (N) party Nawaz Sharif on Thursday (Oct 17) said the visit by the Indian foreign minister to Islamabad was an opportunity for both South Asian neighbours to break the ice. Indian top diplomat S Jaishankar landed in the capital city of Pakistan on Tuesday (Oct 15) to attend a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Jaishankar became the first Indian foreign minister to visit Pakistan in more than nine years.

Nawaz Sharif, who doesn’t hold any position in the Pakistan government, talked to Indian journalists and urged both sides to ‘now move forward’. He also hailed Narendra Modi’s 2015 visit to Pakistan, saying the Indian PM also wanted both sides to look ahead with positive approach and was not happy with strained ties.

“We can’t change our neighbours, neither can Pakistan nor can India. We should live like good neighbours,” said Sharif.

“We have spent 70 years in this way (fighting) and we should not let this go on for the next 70 years... Both sides should sit down and discuss how to go forward,” he added while talking to reporters.

‘Ties broken due to Imran Khan’

Nawaz Sharif then went on to blame former PM Imran Khan for the current breakdown of ties between India and Pakistan, citing comments made by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader against PM Modi.

"Imran Khan used words that destroyed the relationship - as leaders of the two countries and neighbours, we should not even think, let alone utter such words," he said.

The 70-year-old leader added that both countries needed to resume trade ties and cricket as a means to bury the hatchet. India had suspended trade ties with Pakistan in 2019 and imposed heavy duties on imports following the 2019 terror attack in Pulwama.

(With inputs from agencies)