As Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif assumed charge of the office for the second time, many in political circles and experts on geopolitical matters do not expect any instant improvement in relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours amidst their geopolitical tussle over the long pending Kashmir issue.
India-Pakistan has been involved in at least three significant wars, two of those over the Himalayan territory of Kashmir, which both claim in its entirety. On August 5, 2019, the Indian government abrogated Article 370 of the constitution, which gave Jammu and Kashmir a special status and at the same time divided the state into two union territories.
The then Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government objected to the decision and said “that this is the breach of UN Security Council Resolutions and cut all ties, including commerce, with India.”
Rasul Bux Raees, Professor of Political Science at the Lahore University of Management Sciences, said, “The gap between relations has further widened since the abrogation of article 370 in 2019, adding that, considering the political atmosphere in both nations it is highly unlikely that there will be efforts of reconciliation between the two.
“Prime Minister Modi will not change his stance on Pakistan and the re-engagement in any sort of discussions between the two seems highly impossible as India is heading towards the general elections,” said Raees.
On Sunday, Shehbaz Sharif raked up the Kashmir issue in his inaugural speech, on the other hand, he pledged to improve ties with all leading nations, including the country's neighbours.
Pakistan blamed India for the deterioration of the relations and demanded that New Delhi revoke its "unilateral" actions in Kashmir taken on August 5, as a precondition for the talks.
India on the other hand has rejected the offer and responded, that decisions taken concerning Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh are purely internal matters of the nation.
Meanwhile, Raees added that “Pakistan is not in a position to set pre-requisites for the much-needed resumption of the talks".
Dr. Ashfaq Ahmed, Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Sargodha, said Shehbaz Sharif’s priority would be to stabilize the coalition government.
"But it is essential to understand that Pakistan is only going to communicate with India once it feels that the situation is in its best interest and it will get something if not it won't be willing to hold talks," he added.
According to Ahmed, the Kashmir issue may grow increasingly difficult to resolve as India rapidly modernizes its weaponry. It will be difficult for Pakistan to persuade India to have discussions on the status of Kashmir, he said, adding that it would be fascinating to watch whether the two nations can still agree to create a channel of communication.
Raees believes a crucial step for Pakistan will be India's willingness to accommodate its concerns regarding Kashmir in the context of post-370 agreements.
However, he stated that without a significant shift in the Pakistani military establishment's perception of the issue, the incoming administration of Shehbaz Sharif may be unable to achieve anything in relations with India.
"From the viewpoint of the nation of Pakistan, a shift in attitude towards Delhi will come once there is a shift in the strategy of the Military HQ (Pakistan Army), which has a great deal of influence on the foreign and defense policies of Pakistan," he said.
Follow us
