ISLAMABAD - Amidst exchange of barbs, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif struck a conciliatory note, saying Pakistan wanted to establish good relations with India.
Prime Minister Sharif expressed these views while talking to High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit who called on him at the PM House Wednesday. The high commissioner briefed him on the two countries’ relations with particular reference to the latest developments.
Before arriving at the PM House, Abdul Basit held meetings with senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and briefed them on the statements of various Indian political leaders, including the spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs.
The high commissioner to India also briefed the Foreign Office officials on the future of Pak-India relations in the light of recent developments between the two countries.
During the meeting, the prime minister said Pakistan was keen on having good relations with India on the basis of sovereign equality as well as mutual respect and interests.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi was also present during the meeting. The series of meetings in Islamabad followed strongly-worded back-and-forth statements by Pakistani and Indian politicians.
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz on Sunday last said Pakistan’s enemies would not succeed in sabotaging the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and that India’s desire for regional hegemony would be resisted tooth and nail.
Similar statements from Interior Minister Ch Nisar Ali Khan also came Tuesday last in which he minced no words in condemning the Indian defence minister’s statement accepting responsibility for terrorism in Pakistan.
Premier Sharif also spoke about India’s objection to the $46 billion CPEC project, saying the Chinese leadership had also rejected Delhi’s stance. “It is difficult for the enemy to see Pakistan moving forward on the path of development, but we will achieve the goal of progress and prosperity,” he said.