Vantage | Why Nawaz Sharif is talking about peace with India

In Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif is now talking about peace, though we have heard that before, but this time he is campaigning on it. As Pakistan’s elections are slated for February 2024 all bets are on Nawaz Sharif as he returned to Pakistan last October. Sharif has got the army’s support, and his chief rival Imran Khan is in jail. So it is the definition of a stage-managed election but the question is: Why is he talking about peace with India? After all, it has never been a winning strategy in Pakistan. So why is he doing it? Further, Nawaz Sharif also talked about the Kargil War. He was Pakistan’s prime minister back then, and his role has been heavily debated. Did he know?Did he know, but disapprove? Or did he support? But Sharif says he did push back against the Generals, and that’s why he was toppled in 1999.

Why was I removed in 1999?...I was removed bcz we said that thr should be no war in Kargil, says former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif https://t.co/1buvayUKnH pic.twitter.com/jMesRgCv3A

— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) December 9, 2023

Seems like a virus going around. First, Imran Khan started praising India. He brought soundbites of India’s foreign minister to his rallies and then Nawaz Sharif joined in. In September, he was all praises for New Delhi. He talked about India’s moon landing and the G20 summit. Of course, this is all campaign talk. It’s what they do in office that matters. But elsewhere, Pakistan is chasing a reset, like with the United States. Army chief Asim Munir is heading to the US. It’s his first trip to America after taking office in 2022. He’s visited Saudi Arabia. He’s visited China and the UAE. But he had not visited the US.

While there, he will hold talks with senior politicians and military officers. It follows some key defence deals between Pakistan and the US. First, was an F-16 upgrade package, it was approved last year. The package was worth around 450 million dollars. The second was signed this year, that too, in a very secretive manner. Reports say it could set the stage for more military purchases. So Pakistan and the US are doing business again. That wasn’t the case after the fall of Kabul. The Biden administration was unhappy with Imran Khan. In fact, Biden did not have a single phone conversation with him. Imagine that, two years, zero phone calls. So why the U-turn? Islamabad needs American help with bail-outs. Plus, Chinese funding isn’t up to the mark. This year, Beijing refused multiple projects proposed by Pakistan. So what does Islamabad do? Attempt a reset, could that also be one reason for the sudden outreach to India? Well, Washington hasn’t said much. The US has said it supports direct talks between India and Pakistan, beyond that, nothing. But recently, New Delhi and Islamabad have found themselves in similar circles, they both buy Russian energy, they are both close to the US. And now, Pakistan wants to join the BRICS. So we come back to the original question: Why is Pakistan talking about peace with India? And why now? 2024 is the election year in Pakistan, India and the US. So major foreign policy changes are very unlikely. New Delhi hinted at the same last week. This was evident when foreign ministry spokesperson was asked about Pakistan’s attempt to join the BRICS. Watch:

India’s position has always been clear. Act on terror, clear up your business, and then we can sit down and talk. So Pakistan needs to show progress, whether it is cutting support to terror groups, or stopping anti-India propaganda without that, there can be no reset. Nawaz Sharif could be the man for the job, he has a history of progress with India. But the question is: Does he have the army’s blessings? Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost’s views. Read all the  Latest News,  Trending News,  Cricket News,  Bollywood News, India News and  Entertainment News here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.