Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who attended Narendra Modi's swearing-in as India's new Prime Minister on Monday, told NDTV he saw this as a "great moment and a great opportunity."
Hours after arriving in Delhi for the event, Mr Sharif said in his first TV interview, "I intend taking up threads from where (Atal Bihari) Vajpayee and I left off in 1999."
Mr Sharif likened the BJP's election victory to his own win last year and said, "Both governments have a strong mandate. This could help in turning a new page in our relations. This is the same BJP's Prime Minister Vajpayee for whom I have the greatest of respect."
Advertisement
"We should remove fears, mistrust and misgivings about each other," he told NDTV, adding, "Both countries should rid the region of instability and security that has plagued us for decades."
Advertisement
His invitation to Mr Sharif has been described as a bold move in both countries, but has been sharply criticized by the BJP's oldest ally, Shiv Sena, which believes India must not resume cultural or cricketing ties with Pakistan unless violence along the border stops. Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray said he would attend the swearing in even though it was "difficult to trust Pakistan."
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
At 100 Million, PM Modi Is Most-Followed World Leader On X Today "Web Of Lies": M Kharge Counters PM's '8 Crore Jobs In 4 Years' Remark PM Modi Attends Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant's 'Shubh Aashirwad' Ceremony Amid Huge Row, Karnataka Pauses Bill For Reservation In Private Sector Firms Travel Influencer Aanvi Kamdar Dies After Falling Off A Waterfall Near Mumbai Puja Khedkar's Father Was Suspended Twice On Extortion Complaints World's Largest Isolated Tribe Makes Rare Appearance In New Footage Puja Khedkar's Father Was Suspended Twice On Extortion Complaints Meet Gagan, A Daily Wager Who Cracked IIT Despite All Odds Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.