He said there is no reason why Pakistan and India cannot do the same, beginning with a dialogue on Kashmir whose heroic people have resisted and rejected Indian occupation-Photo: File

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Shehbaz Sharif has said that the Singapore summit between the United States of America and North Korea should set a good precedent for Pakistan and India to follow.

The extraordinary and unprecedented encounter in Singapore saw US President Donald Trump shake hands with Kim Jong Un - the third generation scion of a dynastic dictatorship - as both leaders stood as equals in front of their nations´ flags.

In a statement on Tuesday, Shehbaz said if the US and North Korean can return from the brink of a nuclear flashpoint, there is no reason why Pakistan and India cannot do the same, beginning with a dialogue on Kashmir whose heroic people have resisted and rejected Indian occupation.

With the example of Korea, where a peace dialogue has been successful in achieving a major breakthrough, the former Punjab chief minister said that it is time for comprehensive peace talks to be held in our region. He urged the international community to focus on the peace process in Afghanistan. He also sought the resumption of dialogue between Pakistan and India over Kashmir, so that the longstanding Kashmir dispute is resolved in accordance with United Nations resolutions.

He also welcomed the initiatives for ceasefire in Afghanistan during Eid-ul-Fitr, mooted by the Afghan government and also by the Afghan Taliban. Terming it a positive first step towards promoting an Afghan-led & Afghan-owned peace process, Shehbaz said the PML-N government had played a pivotal role in initiating steps for peace in Afghanistan, including hosting the first-ever direct, face to face talks between the Afghan government and the Afghan Taliban in Murree in July 2015.

Shehbaz pledged that should the PML-N return to office after the July 25 general election, it will be the top priority of the PML-N government to promote peace in Afghanistan as it is inextricably intertwined with peace and security in Pakistan.