Nawaz Sharif urges 'new beginning' with India

Sharif said it was vital India and Pakistan became 'good friends'.


Afp August 13, 2013
Sharif said it was vital India and Pakistan became 'good friends'. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has called for a "new beginning" in relations with India amid high tension over the disputed region of Kashmir, in comments published Tuesday.

Clashes in recent weeks across the heavily militarised Line of Control (LoC), which divides the Himalayan territory between India and Pakistan, have raised the temperature between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

Sharif said it was vital India and Pakistan became "good friends", in remarks published Tuesday by the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), the state news agency.

"Let us make a new beginning. Let us sit together to resolve all outstanding issues in a friendly manner and in a peaceful atmosphere," he said. APP said he made the comments on Monday.

India's army on Tuesday accused Pakistan of firing across the LoC late on Monday in the latest confrontation.

Tensions have flared in the Kashmir valley since the killing last week of five Indian soldiers, which India blamed on the Pakistani army.

Pakistan accused India of killing a civilian during firing on Monday and summoned its envoy in Islamabad to register a protest.

The picturesque Himalayan territory is divided between India and Pakistan by the UN-monitored LoC, but both countries claim it in full.

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COMMENTS (41)

Anon | 11 years ago | Reply

Mr. Nawaz Sharif, You are the one person the with hopes of becoming a friendly nation with India. Good thinking Mr. Sharif, only if other people from pakistan also followed your thoughts, South Asia would have become a peaceful place.

But the main problem here is pakistani army, media and janta are always looking for a war with India. They are just filled with hate against India for no reason. India is just defending itself, nothing else. Please tell the people of your country to stop all this and let India live in peace.

Ovais | 11 years ago | Reply

I am surprised to see so many Indians commenting on this and trying to create a negative image of Pak Army/ ISI. I would request you to kindly familiarize yourself with facts first. The Indian government has already acknowledged that 5 Indian soldiers were not killed by Pak Army but militants. When you oppress Kashmiris so much, you should expect some reaction from them too (after all they are ALIVE homosapians). And if you favor the arguement that Pak should exercise greater control on their side of border so as not to allow militants to cross over to India, I would say India should exercise greater control over LoC too so as not to allow militants to infiltrate. The degree of influence Pak Army has on government is far less than Indian army on Indian government or CIA on US government.

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