Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif celebrated his homecoming with a massive rally at the Minar-e-Pakistan in Lahore. The 73-year-old Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) commander raised the Kashmir issue while addressing his party workers.
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir and Imran Khan.Sharif, who was ending his self-imposed exile in London, also said an effective foreign policy and “good relations” with neighbors were needed, without mentioning India.
What do Nawaz’s comments mean about India?
During his tenure as Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif had made contact with India twice: in 1999 during former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s Lahore bus trip and the second time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi traveled to Pakistan on December 25, 2015, at great risk but in both In some cases, the initiatives were quashed by the de facto ruler, the Pakistani army.
In 1999, the Lahore bus initiative was wiped out by the Kargil War and the second war was the terrorist attack on Pathankot Air Base on January 2, 2016.
Sharif made the right move when he said he wanted to approach India. But the fact is that he has to seek permission from the Pakistan Army before taking any new initiative with India.
Does the Pakistan army want to make Nawaz Sharif prime minister again?
The Pakistan Army is not comfortable appointing Nawaz Sharif as the country’s next prime minister. The veteran leader will expand the voter list of his PML(N) party. But both the army and Sharif are aiming to lock up jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan there permanently and ensure that the cricketer-turned-politician does not come back to power.
Although the Pakistan army is not happy with Sharif as prime minister, it needs the PML (N) chief to topple Imran Khan.
What do Palestine and PoK flags mean at Lahore rally?
During the rally at Minar-i-Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif said he would initiate dialogue with India on Kashmir. India is not interested in any dialogue on Kashmir except on cross-border terrorism.
After the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A, there is nothing left to negotiate with Islamabad over Kashmir. Sharif is mistaken when he declares that he will “solve” Kashmir because there is nothing to solve. There is peace in the Kashmir Valley and the region is full of tourists.
At the moment, Kashmir is not expecting any relief from Pakistan. The PML(N) leader is simply addressing his home audience like all his predecessors used to do. Neither Nawaz Sharif nor Pakistan’s civilian leadership is important. It is the Pakistan Army that is important and has no interest at all in curbing cross-border terrorism in Kashmir.
- ABOUT THE AUTHOR
