We’ve learned our lesson”, says Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif, who wants to have “sincere” discussions with Modi
‘We have three wars with India and it only brought more misery, poverty and unemployment to the people,’ Shehbaz Sharif said
After three wars with India, Pakistan has “learned its lessons” and wishes to “live in peace,” according to Shehbaz Sharif, prime minister of the neighbouring nation. His office in Islamabad, however, was quick to deny rumours that New Delhi had been offered to participate in negotiations.
“We had three wars with India and they just made things worse for the people in terms of suffering, poverty, and unemployment,” Sharif said on Monday to the Dubai-based Al Arabiya news programme. “Let’s get down at the table and have serious, sincere discussions to tackle our pressing concerns, including Kashmir,” is the message I want to send to the Indian government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Sharif’s remark was regarded by some as Islamabad’s subliminal invitation for talks with New Delhi shortly after the Al Arabiya broadcast his interview. His administration did clarify on Tuesday that no negotiations will happen between Pakistan and India until the Modi government in New Delhi retracts the decision it made on August 5 to remove Jammu and Kashmir’s special status and divide the state into two Union Territories.
Last week, Sharif travelled to the United Arab Emirates. In Abu Dhabi, he met with Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the president of the UAE. He disclosed to Al Arabiya that he had asked the leadership of the UAE to act as a mediator between Pakistan and India.
In his words, Pakistan and India had to “live with each other” because they were neighbours. “We have learned our lesson, and we want to live in peace as long as we can find solutions to our real issues. The message I want to convey to Prime Minister Modi is that we don’t want to waste our resources on bombs and ammunition, but rather on eradicating poverty, achieving prosperity, and giving our people jobs, access to education, and healthcare facilities.
However, Sharat Sabharwal, a former representative of New Delhi to Islamabad, told DH that the euphoria surrounding the comments made by the Prime Minister of Pakistan was “unwarranted.” “He (Sharif) made peace contingent upon a resolution to the vexing Kashmir problem. Any hope at all in his remarks was nullified by the subsequent clarification issued by his office,” said Sabharwal.