LAHORE: Terming the participation of Indian foreign minister in the SCO summit as a good sign, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif said on Thursday that this visit could be a beginning of normalisation of ties between India and Pakistan.
“It would have been better had the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the SCO conference in Pakistan, however, the participation of Indian foreign minister was a positive sign,” Nawaz said during a meeting with a delegation of Indian journalists who came to Pakistan for the coverage of recently concluded Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) moot, which was attended by leaders from 10 different countries.
The Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz and senior minister Marriyum Aurangzeb were also present on the occasion.
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Nawaz said although the two countries had a bitter past, there is need to look forward and talk about the future. He added that Islamabad and New Delhi needed to immediately work on climate change and bilateral trade.
Talking about suspended trade ties between the two neighbours for years, Nawaz stated that the cost of different Indian commodities and vegetables has increased in Pakistan as the products arrived in Pakistan via Dubai. “Improved Pak-India relations would allow transportation of essential commodities to Pakistan within two hours,” he added.
The PML-N President also called for the revival of cricket diplomacy between the South Asian nations. He said that the Indian cricket team should visit Pakistan for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025. “If you ask the Indian cricket team, they would also suggest playing in Pakistan.
Despite they are ready to play, however, those who have authority to allow them don’t grant them permission,” he said.
It may be added that the Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar was the first foreign minister of India who visited Pakistan in nearly a decade.
Nawaz Sharif was also interviewed by renowned Indian journalist Barkha Dutt.
In the interview, Nawaz had expressed optimism about meeting Indian premier Modi in the near future. He hoped that there was an opportunity to revive the relationship.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024