Letter To Narendra Modi: New Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif Raises Kashmir Issue

Islamabad: Pakistan may have got a new Prime Minister, but there is no change in their Kashmir narrative.

Shehbaz Sharif, who was sworn in as Pakistan’s 23rd PM after Imran Khan lost the no-trust vote a week ago, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking peaceful ties between two countries, PTI reported.

Thanking Modi for his congratulatory wish, Sharif had tweeted: “Thank you Premier Narendra Modi for felicitations. Pakistan desires peaceful & cooperative ties with India. Peaceful settlement of outstanding disputes including Jammu & Kashmir is indispensable.”

In the letter, the Pak PM again called for resolution of issues including Jammu and Kashmir.

Strained relations between the two countries worsened after India responded to the Pulwama terror attack on February 14, 2019, when 40 CRPF personnel were killed. Less than two weeks later, India carried out an airstrike on Pakistan terror launchpads in Balakot.

The Indian government’s decision to abrogate Article 370 on August 5, 2019 — scrapping the special status to Jammu and Kashmir – further aggravated bilateral relations.