Pakistan and India should live like good neighbours: Sharif

Pakistan and India should live like “good neighbours” and resolve all issues including Kashmir through dialogue, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Saturday.

“I raised the issue of Kashmir in the United Nations with courage and spoke out my heart (over the issue). I also gave a proposal to India to improve ties with Pakistan.

“We (Indian and Pakistan) should live like good neighbours and find out a solution to the Kashmir issue,” Sharif said while talking to reporters at the Governor’s House in Lahore.

The prime minister said he told the United Nations that it was its resolution on Kashmir and not that of Pakistan therefore it was the body’s duty to implement it.

“I spoke the truth while looking into their eyes. The UN should realise itself and implement its resolution on Kashmir,” he said.

In his address last week at the United Nations General Assembly, Sharif had proposed a four-point formula to improve ties with India.

He proposed demilitarisation of Kashmir, immediate and unconditional withdrawal of Indian troops from Siachen, resumption of composite dialogue and formalisation of border ceasefire.

The premier further said: “We have laid a foundation of strong ties with Afghanistan. We really worked hard to bring (Afghan) Taliban on negotiation table.

“While the overt talks were under in Pakistan the news of Mullah Omar’s death was broken that sabotaged this effort. I don’t know why two years after his death the news was broken at the time when talks were underway,” he said, adding Pakistan was again trying to bring the Taliban and Afghan government on the table.

Sharif said his government would get another term (after 2018 general elections) because the people are happy with its performance.

He underlined the achievements of his government in transport, health, education and energy sectors, adding that the country’s economy has stabled because of his government’s people-friendly polices.

Sharif also said that he had thought of stepping down had the report of the Judicial Commission auditing the rigging allegations in 2013 elections pinpointed rigging.

“Had the judicial commission’s report not come in our favour, I would have stepped down,” he said.