Lahore, Pakistan: The recently concluded visit of External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for the Council of Heads of Government meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) held in Islamabad has proved to a “beginning” and an “opening” of sorts for the progress in bilateral ties between India and Pakistan and the process of high-level visits, especially dialogue between both neighbours should continue, according to former Prime Minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif.
Dressed in crisp white sherwani, Sharif, 74, spoke to a group of visiting Indian journalists, including ABP Live, at Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Sharif’s office in Lahore. Maryam was also present alongside her father.
The PML-N supremo said: “We should live like good neighbours… We should not dwell in the past and look at the future. In the past we have had serious issues. We should bury the past and think about the future.”
He added: “This (Jaishankar’s visit) is a start. It is a beginning, an opening. Such meetings should go ahead, whether it is SAARC or any other occasion, these must not be missed. These are not small things. These visits matter.”
The veteran leader, whose younger brother Shehbaz Sharif is the current PM of Pakistan, also said the governments on both sides should ease the visa regime so more and more people-to-people exchanges can take place.
“Let’s bury the past & look at the future,” Ex-Pakistan PM @NawazSharifMNS told Indian journalists, including @abplive, in Lahore. pic.twitter.com/zvUPFR5Udq
— Nayanima Basu (@NayanimaBasu) October 17, 2024
Stressing on the fact that both sides have committed “many wrongs” in the past, the three-time PM said it was time both countries once again made “serious attempts” to normalise two-way trade ties, encourage more businesses to operate in each other’s territory, and to also liberalise investments.
Recalling his relationship with former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Sharif said both the leaders had established “a strong foundation” towards the betterment of the ties. “This was something we discussed with PM Vajpayee, and he had once asked Pakistan to supply electricity to India at a reasonable price. He is still remembered for the Lahore Declaration and his words at the time.”
Sharing an anecdote that is reflective of the bonhomie both had shared, Sharif said Vajpayee had once asked Pakistan to supply electricity to India at a reasonable price.
In order to find a resolution to the Kashmir issue and establish a friendly relationship, both leaders had signed the Lahore Declaration in February 1999. “We had a good opening.”
It was, however, under Sharif’s prime ministership in 1999 that India and Pakistan had a war on the icy peaks of Kargil. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Kargil War that began in May 1999 and went on till July of that year.
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‘Wish PM Modi Visited Pakistan’
Lauding the fact that External Affairs Minister Jaishankar visited Pakistan after a long gap, Sharif said it would have been “good” had Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Pakistan.
In December 2015, Modi, who was a little over one year into his first tenure as the PM, visited Pakistan and met his then counterpart Sharif. Modi was on his way back to India from an official trip to Russia and Afghanistan when he landed in Pakistan. It was Sharif’s birthday and both PMs took a chopper visit to the former’s home known as ‘Jati Umrah’ in Raiwind.
“Modi was kind enough to visit Pakistan. He called me from Kabul expressing his interest to visit my country and my home. It was a special moment. He even met my mother, who passed away three years back. It was quite a gesture and such gestures matter a lot for these two countries,” stressed Sharif, surrounded by his men at the plush CM’s office.
Sharif continued in his baritone voice: “But Imran Khan (former PM and Sharif’s arch rival) used such words that destroyed the relationship. As leaders of two countries and neighbours, we should not even think let alone utter such words.”
He added: “I am not happy about this long pause in our relationship. We need to change our political mindset that had set in the relationship. I can speak for the people in Pakistan who feel for the Indian people and I would say the same for Indian people.”
The former reiterated the need to stop trading through a third country like Dubai and others. “India is an attractive market for us. There is so much potential between the two countries to do trade and business but we are losing out on these opportunities,” said Sharif, who had been on self-exile in London from 2019 to 2023.
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Nawaz Sharif Keen To Visit India Along With Pakistan Cricket Team
Speaking on cricket diplomacy, Sharif, a former cricketer and enthusiast, said the Indian cricket team should visit Pakistan and play the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in February 2025.
“What do we gain by not sending teams to each other’s countries? They play all over the world, but it is not allowed in our two countries …India has some extremely good players who have a lot of skills. I like the way Indian cricketers play the cover drive. I watch Indian players very carefully,” he said.
Sharif said if the Pakistan team visits India for the Asia Cup in October 2025, he is keen to visit the country along with the Pakistan cricket team.
Sitting next to him, Sharif’s daughter Maryam Nawaz said she received warm welcome from Indian pilgrims during her visit to Kartarpur recently. She hoped she would be able to visit Punjab where her grandfather hails from.