Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said he is looking forward to establishing strong and mutually beneficial relations with all the countries in the neighbourhood including India.
In a rare display of Pakistan’s civil-military unity, Prime Minister Sharif held a meeting with the new Army Chief, General Qamar Bajwa, in Islamabad.
“Peaceful co-existence, mutual respect and economically integrated region must be our shared objective. This could be possible only when we demonstrate a commitment to our aspirations of peace, progress and prosperity,” Mr. Sharif told the meeting convened at his residence to review the current status of Pakistan's relations with its neighbours.
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Troubled ties
Pakistan’s relations with India and Afghanistan have been on the nosedive after last year’s attacks in Pathankot and Uri and Kabul. Pakistan has repeatedly denied its involvement and offered investigations into the incidents.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter had wished his Pakistani counterpart on the latter’s birthday on December 25. Maryam Nawaz Sharif, daughter of Mr. Sharif, responded by thanking Mr. Modi on behalf of her father.
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On Monday, General Bajwa also called Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and invited him for a visit to Pakistan.