Could Shehbaz normalise ties with India?

ISLAMABAD: Indian PM Narendra Modi congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on becoming the head of Pakistan’s government, prompting hopes for a diplomatic thaw. But Shehbaz Sharif would need to face massive obstacles in reaching out to New Delhi, reports a foreign media outlest.

Pakistan has formed a new government led by Shehbaz Sharif — and the message sent to Shehbaz Sharif by India’s Narendra Modi, though brief and simple, felt like a sign of changing times after years of strained ties and occasional cross-border violence.

“Congratulations to [Shehbaz Sharif] on being sworn in as the prime minister of Pakistan,” Modi wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Shehbaz Sharif responded days later with an equally curt post, thanking Modi for his “felicitations.”

But this was enough to get people talking, including diplomats beyond the borders of the two South Asian nations. Following Modi’s message, the US said it would “welcome productive and peaceful talks between India and Pakistan.”

The exchange comes after Shehbaz Sharif’s brother, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, also made conciliatory gestures in recent months. Some circles are already speculating if the new Pakistani prime minister is preparing steps to normalise diplomatic ties with New Delhi.

Former ambassador Maleeha Lodhi told DW that India was to blame for strained ties, especially due to New Delhi’s “refusal to discuss Kashmir” after making unilateral changes in the region.

While it was true that some of the previous Pakistani governments were “more amenable to engaging with India,” this was “always reciprocal” at the time.

“Today there are many obstacles to normalising ties with Delhi, not easy to overcome,” she said.