Shehbaz Sharif took office as Pakistan's 23rd prime minister on April 11 following Imran Khan's resignation due to a Vote of No Confidence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India was one of the first world leaders to congratulate Prime Minister Sharif. Warmly responding, Prime Minister Sharif expressed his wish for "meaningful engagement" and a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir conflict. According to reports, the two leaders have also written one other through diplomatic channels.
Despite the fact that this is a standard diplomatic practise, it comes after a particularly tumultuous period in the two countries' relations, which have been deteriorating since New Delhi revoked the special status granted to the disputed region of Kashmir under Article 370 and 35A of the Indian constitution on August 5, 2019. The continuation of the joint cease-fire announcement on February 25, 2021, and Pakistan's first-ever National Security Policy's explicit mention of strengthening ties with India while keeping Kashmir at the centre of the bilateral relationship open the door to the possibility of normalising diplomatic relations. Although it is unclear whether both administrations have the political will to reverse the downward trend in relations, the change of government in Pakistan offers the perfect setting to do so.
A Perspective From Pakistan: The PML-N's Strategy
The three terms of Shehbaz Sharif's older brother, Nawaz Sharif, who is a member of the same political party, should be considered in addition to his potential India policy. Numerous reports have emphasised Nawaz Sharif's "soft approach" to India, which included a 1999 meeting for peace negotiations with former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and a close friendship with Modi. In 2014, during his final term in office, Nawaz Sharif did not meet with the Hurriyat leadership, which was seen as a shift from Pakistan's position on Kashmir. Furthermore, the joint statement issued following a significant Ufa declaration signed by Modi and the then-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in
purely defined by the nation's military leadership as well as its civilian leadership. Perhaps the tone will be more lenient towards India than it was under the Imran Khan administration, but a significant change in strategy is extremely doubtful.
Shehbaz Sharif has also been praised for being less hostile to India than his predecessor. He has supported trade connections between the two nations as a businessman. In 2013, Prime Minister Shehbaz visited India, where he met Manmohan Singh, who was the country's prime minister at the time, and State Minister Prakash Singh Badal. He advocated for a cordial conversation between the two counties at the conference.
The future will tell whether Shehbaz Sharif would continue his brother's policy in his dealings with India. It is crucial to remember that the military leadership of the nation also plays a role in defining relations with India, in addition to the civilian leadership of the nation. A significant change in policy is extremely improbable for two reasons, even though the tone towards India might be gentler than during the Imran Khan administration. The first explanation is the present unrest within Pakistan.
No comments: