India and Pakistan should “bury” the past and “think of Future”, former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Thursday (17 October 2024) said in remarks seen as an attempt to reach out to New Delhi following Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's Shanghai Cooperation Organization's (SCO’s) trip to Islamabad this week.

The SCO comprises the member states of India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Belarus.

The visit of India's foreign minister to Pakistan earlier this week was a "good beginning" that could lead to a thaw in relations between the two rivals, former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was quoted as saying by Indian media on Friday.

Nawaz Sharif, who doesn’t hold any position in the Pakistan government, talked to Indian journalists and urged both sides to ‘now move forward’.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has called for renewed efforts to mend ties with India. He described External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s recent visit to Islamabad for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting as a “good opening” and an opportunity for both nations to move beyond their troubled history.

Nawaz Sharif, the former prime minister of Pakistan, said he was not pleased by the ‘long pause’ in the relationship between the two countries.

During EAM S Jaishankar's visit to Pakistan for the SCO summit, former PM Nawaz Sharif expressed hopes for improved relations and a future visit from PM Modi. Casual talks occurred, but no significant thaw in relations was noted,