'Pak desires peaceful ties,' says Shehbaz Sharif in response to PM Modi but rakes up Kashmir again!

Islamabad, April 12: Responding to PM Modi's congratulatory tweet on Tuesday, his Pakistani counterpart Shehbaz Sharif raked up the Kashmir issue while saying that his country also desires peaceful ties. While agreeing with the PM on the desire to have peaceful ties between the two countries, Sharif contended that the peaceful settlement of the Kashmir issue is "indispensable".

  

 

Taking to Twitter, the PML(N) president also reacted to PM Modi's emphasis on the elimination of terrorism by Pakistan. Claiming that Pakistan's "sacrifices" in battling terrorism are well-known, Shehbaz Sharif stressed the need to focus on the socio-economic development of people on both sides of the border.

 

 

In his congratulatory message on Twitter, PM Modi had added that India “desires peace and stability in a region free of terror, so that we can focus on our development challenges and ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people”.

 

 

Earlier, speaking in Pakistan’s National Assembly after his election, Sharif laid out his country’s standard position of raising the Kashmir issue at international forums and offering diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiri people.

 

"Neighbours are not a matter of choice, it is something we have to live with. Unfortunately, our relations with India could not improve in the past," Sharif said. "We want good relations with India, but peace can not be discussed without resolution of the Kashmir issue," he said. "We will raise the issue of Kashmir on every international platformNe," the newly elected Pakistan PM said.