Amidst External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Pakistan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif voiced his hope for a renewed and strengthened relationship between the two neighboring nations. Speaking to India Today, Sharif emphasized the need to move past the past and work towards a brighter future, stating, “We should pick up the threads from where we left. 75 years have passed like this. Let’s not waste 75 more years.”
Sharif expressed his desire to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi visit Pakistan, expressing his optimism about the potential for positive change in bilateral relations. “Would have loved for Modi to come. Can’t change our neighbours. We should live like good neighbours,” he said.
Jaishankar’s recent visit to Pakistan marked the first high-level engagement between the two countries in years, raising hopes of a potential thaw in the frosty relationship. While Jaishankar and his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, held informal conversations on the sidelines of the SCO summit, sources indicate that there was no significant breakthrough in the bilateral issues.
Despite the lack of major developments, Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar described Jaishankar’s visit as an “ice breaker.” This sentiment was further echoed by a pull-aside meeting between Jaishankar and Dar at a dinner reception hosted by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
However, sources have confirmed that no discussions regarding the resumption of cricket ties between India and Pakistan took place during Jaishankar’s visit. The two cricketing nations have not played each other in a bilateral series since the 2008 Asia Cup, due to the strained relationship between the two countries.
While the SCO summit provided a platform for informal interactions and the expression of hopes for improved ties, the actual steps towards strengthening relations between India and Pakistan remain to be seen. It is yet to be observed whether the recent visit will be the catalyst for a significant change in the bilateral relationship.