Nawaz Sharif... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, now in his third, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf...
yesterday reached out to India and the United States, pledging to strengthen relations after his thumping victory in landmark elections.
Sharif promised Pakistain's "full support" as the United States withdraws combat troops from Afghanistan next year and made overtures to nuclear rival India in a briefing with the foreign media at his family estate outside Lahore.
"If there are concerns on either side I think we should address those concerns and strengthen this relationship," Sharif told journalists, referring to Pakistain's alliance with the United States which can be notoriously difficult.
"We will extend full support to them and we will see everything goes smoothly," Sharif said, hours after President Barack Obama
Ready to Rule from Day One...
said Washington was ready to work with Islamabad "as equal partners" and welcomed the transition.
Obama in a statement said, "The United States and Pakistain have a long history of working together on mutual interests," Obama said in a statement, CNN adds. "And my administration looks forward to continuing our cooperation with the Pak government that emerges from this election as equal partners in supporting a more stable, secure, and prosperous future for the people of Pakistain."
One thorn in the relationship is US drone strikes targeting Taliban and al-Qaeda Death Eaters in the northwestern tribal belt, which are unpopular in Pakistain due to civilian casualties and seen as an infringement of illusory sovereignty.
"This is a very important issue and our concern must be understood properly. We will sit with our American friends and we will certainly talk to them on this issue," Sharif said.
Also yesterday, Sharif said yesterday the mistrust that has long dogged relations with India must be tackled, reports Rooters.
Sharif said he had a "long chat" with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Sunday and each man extended an invitation to the other to visit, a diplomatic nicety in some parts of the world, but a heavily symbolic step for South Asia's arch-enemies.
Asked by an Indian journalist if he would invite Singh for his swearing-in as prime minister, he said: "I will be very happy to extend that invitation."
"There are fears on your side, there are fears on our side," Sharif added during a news conference at his home on the outskirts of Lahore. "We have to seriously address this."