Sharif sees poll victory as mandate for peace with India
25 Aug 2013 4:31 AM IST
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif sees his victory in Pakistan's election as a mandate for peace with India, saying an arms race between the two countries must end and they should settle their dispute over Kashmir.
‘Weve been in a very unfortunate arms race with India ever since Partition and I think we are a very unfortunate country from that point of view,’ he said.
‘I think this must come to an end. The money wasted in defence should have gone into social sectors - it should have gone into education, it should have gone into health care,’ Sharif said in his first interview with The Telegraph after becoming premier in June. He made it clear that he ‘sees his election victory as a mandate for peace with India’ and spoke with ‘genuine feeling about the need for reconciliation with Pakistans oldest enemy’, the British daily reported on Friday.
The two countries should also ‘settle their conflict over Kashmir’, he said.
Sharif's remarks came against the backdrop of tensions between the two countries over violations of the ceasefire along the Line of Control in Kashmir.
‘Weve been in a very unfortunate arms race with India ever since Partition and I think we are a very unfortunate country from that point of view,’ he said.
‘I think this must come to an end. The money wasted in defence should have gone into social sectors - it should have gone into education, it should have gone into health care,’ Sharif said in his first interview with The Telegraph after becoming premier in June. He made it clear that he ‘sees his election victory as a mandate for peace with India’ and spoke with ‘genuine feeling about the need for reconciliation with Pakistans oldest enemy’, the British daily reported on Friday.
The two countries should also ‘settle their conflict over Kashmir’, he said.
Sharif's remarks came against the backdrop of tensions between the two countries over violations of the ceasefire along the Line of Control in Kashmir.
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