New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on being elected as Pakistan’s prime minister and said India wants “peace and stability in a terror-free zone”.
“Congratulations to His Excellency Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif on his election as Prime Minister of Pakistan. India seeks peace and stability in a terror-free region, so that we can focus on our development challenges and ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people . .,” PM Modi tweeted.
Shahbaz Sharif took oath as the 23rd Prime Minister of the country on Monday. Sharif was elected unopposed after ousting the joint opposition candidate from power. Imran Khan As the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
According to a Geo News report, Shahbaz Sharif, brother of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, got 174 votes, two more than the simple majority of 172.
Addressing the Parliament after his election, Shahbaz Sharif said that he wants good relations with India but it cannot be achieved without the resolution of the Kashmir issue.
Read | ‘Good relations with India cannot be achieved without…’: Pakistan’s new PM Shahbaz Sharif
“We want good relations with India but lasting peace is not possible until the Kashmir dispute is resolved,” Sharif was quoted as saying by PTI.
He attacked Imran Khan for not making a “serious and diplomatic effort” on the abrogation of Article 370 by India in August 2019.
Shahbaz Sharif asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come forward to resolve the Kashmir issue so that both the countries can focus on tackling poverty, unemployment, shortage of medicines and other issues on both sides of the border.
“I would advise PM Modi to understand that there is poverty on both sides. I call upon Modi to resolve the J&K issue and then fight poverty,” he said.
Relations between India and Pakistan have been at their lowest point in August 2019 after New Delhi announced the withdrawal of Jammu and Kashmir’s special powers and bifurcation of the state into two union territories.
India has repeatedly told Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and always will be” and will remain an integral part of the country. India has told Pakistan that it wants normal relations with Pakistan in an environment free from terror, enmity and violence.