NEW DELHI: Bilateral relations between India and Pakistan cannot be normalised till the Kashmir issue is resolved, said Shehbaz Sharif in his Parliament address after being sworn in as the 23rd prime minister of Pakistan on Monday.
“We can’t choose our neighbours, we have to live with them. Nawaz Sharif had extended the hand of friendship with India, but he also spoke of Kashmir. Kashmiris are being killed and till that issue is resolved we can’t have normal relations with Bharat,’’ he said.
He said that neighbours are not a matter of choice, it is something we have to live with and unfortunately Pakistan's ties with India were never good since its inception.
He attacked Khan for not making "serious and diplomatic efforts" when India abrogated the Article 370 in August 2019.
"When the forceful encroachment was done in August 2019 and Article 370 was abrogated, what serious efforts did we make. What serious diplomacy did we try. Kashmiris' blood is flowing on roads of Kashmir and the Kashmir Valley is red with their blood," said Shehbaz, the younger brother of former three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
He expressed a desire for better ties but with India linked it with the Kashmir issue.
"We want good ties with India but durable peace is not possible until the Kashmir dispute is resolved," he said, adding that Pakistan would continue to provide political, diplomatic and moral support to the people of Kashmir.
"We will raise voice for Kashmiris brothers and sisters at every forum. We will give them diplomatic and moral support," he added.
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Shehbaz also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come forward to address the Kashmir issue so that the two countries could concentrate on tackling poverty, unemployment, shortage of medicines and other issues.
"Why do we want our coming generations to suffer. Come, let's resolve the Kashmir issue in line with UN resolutions and Kashmiris' expectations, so that we are able to end poverty on both sides of the border," he added.
Ties between India and Pakistan nose-dived after a terror attack on the Pathankot Air Force base in 2016 by terror groups based in the neighbouring country.
Subsequent attacks, including one on an Indian Army camp in Uri, further deteriorated the relationship.
The relationship deteriorated after India announced withdrawing the special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcation of the state into two union territories in August 2019.
India's move to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019 outraged Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian High Commissioner in Islamabad.
It also snapped all air and land links with India and suspended trade and railway services.
India has said that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility, and violence.
India has said the onus is on Pakistan to create an environment free of terror and hostility.
Hours later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while congratulating Sharif, said: “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.” Sharif’s reference to India came towards the end of his address after praising China and other friends of Pakistan.
Exuding confidence of the trust they will continue to have with Beijing, he said, “Our friendship with China is forever, it will never change.” He said his government will speed up projects carried out under the $60-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
He also spoke highly of ties with Saudi Arabia, where he said he and his brother Nawaz Sharif felt safe even when they were in exile. Other countries with which Sharif hoped ties would strengthen included Turkey, Qatar, UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Afghanistan, US and EU.
Since he is a part of the coalition that includes Pakistan People’s Party, Sharif announced the reintroduction of Benazir Income Support Programme.Just before voting began, Imran submitted his resignation as PM and his membership of Parliament. Other members of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, too, resigned en masse.
Meanwhile, the White House said on Monday that the US values its long-standing cooperation with Islamabad and has always viewed that a prosperous and democratic Pakistan is critical to the American interests in the region, as Sharif was sworn-in as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Responding to a series of questions on major political developments in Pakistan and the election of Sharif as the new Prime Minister after Imran Khan was ousted in a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly on Sunday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the US value its long standing cooperation with Islamabad.
"We value our long standing cooperation with Pakistan and have always viewed a prosperous and democratic Pakistan critical to US interests. That remains unchanged regardless of who the leadership is," she told reporters at her daily news conference.
However, Psaki refrained from responding to questions on the possibility of a phone call between President Joe Biden and Sharif.
"I don't have a prediction of a call at this point of time. Obviously, those are assessments made day by day and especially after new leaders are elected. Of course, we have a long, strong and abiding relationship with Pakistan, an important security relationship and that will continue under new leaders," Psaki said.
President Biden, who was inaugurated in January 2021, did not make a call to former prime minister Khan during his tenure.
Before his ouster, Khan has alleged that there was a "foreign conspiracy" hatched in Washington to remove his government from power.
(With PTI Inputs)