Daily Times

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has written a letter to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, seeking peaceful resolution of all issues including long-standing Kashmir dispute between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

In Sunday’s letter, the prime minister reiterated his gratitude to his Indian counterpart for his well wishes and said that Pakistan remained “committed to the maintenance of regional peace and security”. He said Pakistan is committed to regional peace and stability. Peaceful and cooperative ties between the two nations are indispensable for the prosperity of the people, he added. Pakistan’s sacrifices and efforts to eradicate the menace of terrorism are well-known and have been recognised globally, Shehbaz told Modi. “We believe that peaceful and cooperative ties between Pakistan and India are imperative for the progress and socioeconomic uplift of our people and for the region.

“This can be best achieved through meaningful engagement and peaceful resolution of all outstanding disputes, including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir,” PM Shehbaz wrote. He called on Modi to collectively secure peace and work for the “progress and prosperity of our people”.

The newly elected prime minister made these remarks in response to the message shared by Modi on Twitter wherein he congratulated the Pakistani premier on getting elected as the new chief executive.

“Congratulations to HE 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 had written on Twitter a day earlier.

In his response shared on Twitter, PM Shehbaz said that Pakistan desired peaceful settlement of outstanding disputes, including Jammu and Kashmir. “Pakistan’s sacrifices in fighting terrorism are well-known,” Shehbaz told the Indian premier. During his speech in parliament after becoming the premier, Shehbaz had offered an olive branch to New Delhi, saying that Pakistan wanted a “better relationship with India”. But he had also cautioned that no lasting peace would be possible without a resolution to Kashmir’s status. “I would suggest Prime Minister Modi let us resolve the Kashmir issue and divert all our energies to bring prosperity to our countries,” he had said.