Pakistan’s recently re-elected Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, expressed gratitude towards Bharatiya Prime Minister Narendra Modi for extending his congratulations on his re-election. Taking to the microblogging platform, X, Sharif publicly acknowledged Modi’s felicitations, stating, “Thank you @narendramodi for felicitations on my election as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.”
Prime Minister Modi had earlier congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on assuming office as the 24th Prime Minister of Pakistan. Modi’s message, posted on X, read, “Congratulations to @CMShehbaz on being sworn in as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.”
Shehbaz Sharif officially took the oath of office as Pakistan’s Prime Minister on Monday, marking his ascent to power nearly a month after an election mired in allegations of vote rigging. The oath-taking ceremony was administered by Pakistan’s President, Arif Alvi, at the Aiwan-i-Sadr.
In his address to the National Assembly following the oath-taking, Prime Minister Sharif pledged that his government would prioritize maintaining cordial relations with neighboring countries on the basis of equality. He emphasized Pakistan’s commitment to avoiding entanglement in any “great game” and reiterated the importance of equitable relations with neighboring states.
While expressing his intention to foster friendly relations with neighboring countries, Shehbaz Sharif did not shy away from addressing contentious issues such as the Kashmir dispute. He drew parallels between Kashmir and Palestine, indicating that these longstanding conflicts remain significant concerns for his administration.
The diplomatic relations between Bharat and Pakistan have been strained for years, with tensions escalating following significant events such as the terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in 2016 and Bharat’s airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan in 2019. The situation further deteriorated after Bharat’s revocation of Article 370 and the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories in August 2019.
Despite the historical animosity and ongoing disputes, Shehbaz Sharif’s acknowledgment of Prime Minister Modi’s congratulatory message signals a potential opening for dialogue between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. However, the road to normalized relations remains fraught with challenges, including unresolved territorial disputes and deep-seated mistrust.
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