Nawaz victory is good for Pak-India ties: Indian FM

Indian FM Sakman Khurshid calls Nawaz Sharif to congratulate him over coming to power.

NEW DEHLI: Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Chief Nawaz Sharif’s victory would be good for India-Pakistan relations, Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid said while virtually congratulating Nawaz  on coming to power even before all the results were declared.

"India welcomes whatever result that comes out of a democratic election," Khurshid told television channels as results began to come in.

"Our government has had relations with Nawaz Sharif. Congratulations will also be offered from Prime Minister's (if he wins)."

"I hope we can continue to have good relations [with Pakistan] if he comes to power," he said.

It may be recalled that it was during Nawaz Sharif’s government that Kargil incursions by Pakistan took place, ultimately leading to a US-brokered settlement.

Sharif always claimed that he had no hand in the salami-slicing operations which were a brainchild of the Pakistan Army, but India has an open mind on this issue.

It was Sharif and then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who jointly began the process of normalisation of India-Pakistan relations.

Now, as Pakistan has had elections and India goes for general elections next year, a lot depends on the kind of regime India will get and what its attitude towards Pakistan would be.

Both the Bharatiya Janata Party, currently in opposition, and the Congress would like to have peaceful relationship with Pakistan, though events like the Mumbai attacks have derailed an upward trajectory of relationship.

An official Indian reaction will come only after all the results have been declared and it is clear who the next Prime Minister of Pakistan will be.

All eyes in India are on what kind of stance a new Prime Minister will take about India-Pakistan relations.