By IANS,
New Delhi : India is closely watching political developments in Pakistan after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s party pulled out of the ruling coalition, triggering uncertainty in the neighbouring country.
India is concerned that prolonged uncertainty and unstable government in Pakistan could slow down the peace process between the two countries, reliable sources said.
However, India is hopeful about the course of the peace process in the light of positive statements coming from Islamabad after a civilian government was installed in that country over a month ago.
Moreover, there’s a cross-party consensus between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for better relations with India.
The shakiness in the ruling coalition, sparked by the withdrawal of PML-N from the government on the contentious issue of the restoration of the sacked judges comes a week ahead of External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to Islamabad May 21.
Mukherjee will hold talks with his counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi on a wide range of bilateral issues, including Kashmir and cross-border confidence building measures.
The two sides are expected to launch the fifth round of composite dialogue during Mukherjee’s visit to Islamabad.
The PML-N decided to pull out of the cabinet Monday evening following failure of its talks with coalition partner PPP over the restoration of judges.
PML-N chief Sharif, however, told reporters that his party MPs would continue to sit on the treasury benches and support the government from outside.