Nawaz Sharif for good ties with India amid war of words

ISLAMABAD: Amidst exchange of barbs, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today struck a conciliatory note saying he wants to establish good relations with India.

Sharif was talking to Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit, who met him in Islamabad and briefed him over the relations with India.

Radio Pakistan reported that the High Commissioner apprised the Prime Minister on the state of Pakistan-India relations with particular reference to the "latest developments".

"Pakistan wants to establish good relations with India on the basis of sovereign equality and mutual respect," Sharif was quoted as saying.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister and ex-ambassador Tariq Fatemi was also present during the meeting.

Basit arrived from New Delhi early this morning and briefed officials at the Foreign Ministry about recent statements by Indian leaders.

After consultation at the Foreign Ministry, the High Commissioner met the Prime Minister to brief him about the ties with India.

The meeting came after exchange of strong statements by the two sides in recent days.

The latest came today from Pakistan's army chief General Raheel Sharif that Kashmir was part of the "unfinished agenda of partition" and that the region was "inseparable" from Pakistan.