On April 12, Pakistan’s newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif responded to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s congratulatory tweet by saying that his country wants peace with India, even as he raises the Kashmir issue, which is a “sacrifice in the fight against terrorism”. Sharif’s response on social media came a day after Modi congratulated the newly elected Prime Minister and expressed hope for a “peace and stability” and a “terrorism-free” region.

“Thanks to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the congratulations. Pakistan wants peaceful and cooperative relations with India,” tweeted Sharif, who was sworn in at the office on April 11, two days after Imran Khan lost his confidence vote at midnight after days of uneasiness. Sharif, however, also raised the issue of Kashmir, which defines the relationship between the two neighbours. “Peaceful settlement of unresolved disputes including Jammu and Kashmir is essential,” he tweeted.

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“Pakistan’s sacrifice in the fight against terrorism is well known. Let’s safeguard peace and focus on the socio-economic development of our people,” added Sharif, the younger brother of three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Imran Khan used the global forum to accuse India of rejecting his proposal to resolve the outstanding disputes through dialogue. The new prime minister is expected to repeatedly raise the issue of Kashmir as Pakistan calls for elections by October 2023.