External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Islamabad for the SCO meeting was a “good beginning” and a “good opening”, said Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Thursday. Underlining that India and Pakistan should “bury the past” and “think of the future”, he emphasized that the two countries “should move forward from here”.
Sharif, brother of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and chief of the PML(N) which leads the ruling coalition, told a group of visiting Indian journalists: “Baat jo hai aise hi badhti hai… baat khatam nahi honi chahiye… achcha hota agar Modi saab khud tashreef laate (This is how talks move forward, talks should not stop, it would have been better if Mr (Narendra) Modi had come himself)” for the SCO meeting.
Sharif On Indian Prime Minister’s Previous Visit
Vajpayee’s Lahore visit is still remembered very fondly,” he recalled. “His speech was very good. I sometimes watch YouTube videos of the visit and the speech to revive good old memories.”
On Modi’s sudden visit to Lahore in 2015, he said, “Modi’s visit was a pleasant surprise. He called from Kabul and wanted to wish me. He came to my home, met my mother, wife who have since passed on. It was not a small gesture, they mean something to us, especially in our countries. We should not overlook them.”
SCO Meeting 2024: India’s Role
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a permanent intergovernmental international organization established on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai, China. Its primary aim is to promote cooperation in political, economic, and security-related matters, especially across Eurasia. It is now one of the largest regional organizations in the world. This year, India successfully addressed geopolitical tensions and internal challenges with its long-lasting neighbor, Pakistan.
Geopolitical Tensions: India maintained its stance on countering cross-border terrorism and addressed tensions with China over the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Internal Challenges in Pakistan: The summit was marked by political unrest in Pakistan, with protests against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government and heightened security measures.
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