The extension of the Sri Kartarpur Sahib Corridor agreement and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's recent visit to Pakistan gave some momentum to India-Pakistan ties which have been on pause mode for a decade. However, India maintains its stand that terrorism and dialogue can't go together.
The ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after India's warplanes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Balakot in Pakistan in February 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack. The trade ties between Islamabad and New Delhi have remained suspended since 2019.
Nawaz Sharif said he had always been a supporter of good relations with India and expressed optimism about a meeting with Prime Minister Modi soon. This is not the first time Nawaz has expressed a desire for friendly relations with India, which underwent a severe strain in 2019.
Shehbaz Sharif's previous government introduced changes in the NAB laws that Imran Khan alleged would favour politicians accused in corruption cases. In September last year, the Supreme Court restored corruption cases against public representatives but reversed it on Friday.
In recent times, the Sharif family has been making efforts to reach out to India through positive declarations. Nevertheless, consecutive terrorist assaults could impede the incremental progress made by Pakistan.
Earlier in the day, his brother and Pakistan's incumbent Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif also congratulated PM Modi on assuming the office for third time reacting to which, PM Modi thanked him for his wishes.
As Modi takes his oath for a third term as Prime Minister on Sunday evening, prominent political figures from neighbouring nations will once again gather, with one conspicuous absence being a leader from Pakistan.
Adviser to the National Command Authority Lt Gen (retd) Khalid Ahmed Kidwai has underscored Pakistan’s stance on not committing to the No First Use (NFU) policy regarding nuclear weapons.
Nawaz Sharif, the newly-appointed PML-N President, admitted on Tuesday that Pakistan 'violated' the Lahore Declaration aimed at peace with India, which resulted in the Kargil misadventure. The Lahore Declaration was signed between Nawaz and former Indian PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee in February 1999.
Nawaz Sharif, 74, who returned to Pakistan in October last year, ending nearly four years of self-imposed exile in London, will take over the realm of the ruling party.
Hassan and Hussain Nawaz were implicated in the Avenfield, Flagship, and Al-Azizia corruption cases in 2018 and were declared proclaimed offenders. They lef Pakistan in 2018 and returned on March 12 from a six-year exile after their father secured acquittals in previous corruption cases.
Shehbaz Sharif was nominated as the PM candidate after PML-N's poor performance in the February 8 elections forced his elder brother Nawaz to withdraw his plans and form a coalition with other parties. He became the 24th Prime Minister of Pakistan after securing 201 votes in the National Assembly.
Leaders of both parties noted that progress had been made in the talks between Nawaz and Fazl, but the JUI-F remained adamant about remaining in the opposition. The JUI-F, which played a vital role in Imran Khan's poll, rejected the results of Feb 8 elections and decided to stay in the opposition.
After a disappointing performance in Pakistan's elections, Nawaz Sharif abandoned his claim to becoming the next PM to his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif. He returned to the Parliament after seven years, following his ouster and a four-year exile in London.
Nawaz said the upcoming coalition government will prioritise on fixing the economy of the cash-strapped Pakistan and remained hopeful that all members complete their five-year tenure. He asserted that Shehbaz Sharif was the best choice under the current circumstances.
The PML-N and PPP joined hands to form Pakistan's federal government in 2008 and 2022. The leaders of these two parties - Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto- were locked in intense rivalries for power in the 1990s that ended with Nawaz's ouster by Pervez Musharraf.
Nawaz Sharif sacrificed his ambition to become the Pakistan prime minister for the fourth time for his daughter Maryam, sources said, adding that he was given two options by the Pakistani army -- either to become premier or leave it to make his daughter CM of Punjab province.
PTI leader Asad Qaiser said Imran nominated Omar Ayub as the Prime Minister candidate and will reach out to other parties to support his candidature. Omar served in Imran Khan's Cabinet as a federal minister and has been a member of Nawaz Sharif's party and the ruling party under Pervez Musharraf.
All main parties, barring Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, announced that they would try to form a coalition government to resolve Pakistan's issues. None of the parties won a majority, with PTI-backed independent candidates getting the lion's share of National Assembly seats.
Nawaz's PML-N was the largest party with 75 seats, while Imran Khan's PTI-backed candidates won the highest number of seats overall. Imran has ruled out forming a coalition with PML-N and PPP and will join hands with Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen (MWM) to form the government.
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