Sharif’s Kashmir bogey raises many eyebrows

Sharif’s Kashmir bogey raises many eyebrows

PrashantNews

What should be the main focus of newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s political agenda in Pakistan? Should it be Kashmir? Or should he launch rigorous efforts to revive the collapsed economy?

At a time when his main focus should be on the economy, the junior Sharif has unnecessarily tried to divert the attention of the people of Pakistan from the internal strife to Kashmir.

“Let’s all come together and the National Assembly should pass a resolution for the freedom of Kashmiris and Palestinians,” Sharif said.

Surprisingly, he gave a little thought when he equated Kashmir with Palestine which is in war with Israel for a long time. On the contrary, the situation in Kashmir is totally normal after the decades-long insurgency which was aided and abetted by Pakistan.

The tourism in Kashmir is flourishing these days. Be it Dal lake in Kashmir or heavy snowfall in Gulmarg, the tourists are visiting Kashmir in large number to enjoy its natural beauty. “We are happy now,” said Adil, who runs a shikara in Nagin lake.

Pledging to revive Pakistan’s debt-trapped economy and eradicate terrorism, Sharif said his government would not allow the country to become part of some “great game” and would maintain cordial relations with neighbours based on the principles of equality.

In his victory speech in the National Assembly soon after he was elected as the 24th prime minister and for a second time since 2022, the 72-year-old on Monday profusely thanked his elder brother and three-time former premier Nawaz Sharif and allies for putting their trust in him and allowing him to head a coalition government after last month’s election resulted in a hung Parliament.

While Shehbaz secured 201 votes, his challenger Omar Ayub Khan of jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) got only 92 votes in the election held at the newly-elected National Assembly.

Experts said by raising the Kashmir bogey at the National Assembly, Sharif might have tried to appease the hardliners in the country as well as in the ruling party.