While Pakistan’s main opposition leader Nawaz Sharif welcomed the initiation of talks with India, the main Indian opposition party, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) criticised Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s peace overtures towards Pakistan, saying he had “erred” in calling his Pakistani counterpart Yousaf Raza Gilani a “man of peace”. Nawaz said initiation of dialogue with New Delhi was a good sign to restore peace in the region.
“If the world can resolve their issues through discussion, then why not us?” he asked. He said the talks between both countries during the SAARC summit in Maldives proved that his decision to start talks with then Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was correct. “Those who opposed the Lahore Declaration are today sitting with India,” Nawaz said. Meanwhile, BJP leader and former external affairs minister Yashwant Sinha said Pakistan had done little to contain terrorism or bring the conspirators of 26/11, currently facing trial in Pakistan, to book.