‘Bury the Past, Build the Future’: Nawaz Sharif Sees India’s SCO Visit As 'New Dawn' For India-Pakistan Relations

India and Pakistan should “bury” the past and “think of Future”, former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Thursday (17 October 2024) said in remarks seen as an attempt to reach out to New Delhi following Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO’s) trip to Islamabad this week.

In an interaction with a group of Indian journalists, the three-time Prime Minister and president of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (N) described S Jaishankar's Visit to Islamabad for the SCO meeting as a “good beginning” and a “good opening” and the two countries “should move forward from here”.

"Baat jo hai aise hi badhti hai… baat khatam nahi honi chahiye… achcha hota agar Modi saab khud tashreef laate" (This is how talks move forward, talks should not stop, it would have been better if Prime Minister Narendra Modi had come himself), said Nawaz Sharif.

He further stated, “I tried to mend the relationship, but they were disrupted again and again,” these disruptions referred to the Kargil War and terrorist attacks from Pakistan-based groups after he met with Prime Ministers Vajpayee and Narendra Modi.

About Prime Minister Narendra Modi's sudden visit to Pakistan in December 2015, he said that both the neighbours “should pick up the threads where we left”.

“Modi’s visit was a pleasant surprise. He called from Kabul and wanted to wish me well. He came to my home, met my mother, and wife who have since passed on. It was not a small gesture, they mean something to us, especially in our countries. We should not overlook them.” he said.

He emphasized the importance of good relations between the neighbours and said, “We are neighbours, we can’t change our neighbours. Neither can Pakistan nor can India. We should live like good neighbors. We should not go into the past, and should look to the future,” and listed “trade, investments, industry, tourism, electricity” as possible areas of bilateral cooperation.

In a reference to a 2018 Twitter post by Imran Khan (Pakistan's former Prime Minster) , Nawaz Sharif said, “Imran Khan used words that destroyed the relationship. As leaders of two countries and neighbours, we should not even think, let alone utter such words.”

He underlined shared “customs and rituals, traditions, cuisine, language” and said, “What’s the difference? I am not happy about the long pause in the relationship, the people-to-people relationship is very good… at the political level, the mindset has to change.” He even advocated for the restoration of Cricket Ties between the two neighbours.

However, when asked about Article 370 and Kashmir, he declined to comment saying this was not the occasion to discuss these issues.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had a trip to Pakistan to attend the two-day (October 15 and October 16 2024) Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.

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