Newly-elected Pakistan prime minister Shehbaz Sharif penned a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week where he thanked him again for extending his congratulation of Sharif being elected the head of state of the neighbouring nation.

Sharif in his letter to PM Modi said that Pakistan wants to reciprocate India’s sentiments and said that Islamabad is committed to maintaining regional peace and security. “I wish to thank you for your greetings and good wishes on my assumption of office as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Reciprocating your sentiments, I wish to convey that Pakistan remains committed to the maintenance of regional peace and security. Our sacrifices and contribution in fighting and eliminating terrorism are well-known and globally acknowledged,” Sharif wrote in his letter.

“We believe that peaceful and cooperative ties between Pakistan and India are imperative for the progress and socioeconomic uplift of our people and for the region. This can be best achieved through meaningful engagement and peaceful resolution of all outstanding disputes, including the core issue of Jammu and Kashmir,” Sharif said.

“Let us secure peace and work for the progress and prosperity of our people. Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration,” he added.

Despite Sharif’s assurances, the wording of the letter makes it clear that despite the challenges Islamabad faces Jammu and Kashmir will remain a core issue for the new government. There are certain sections of Pakistan’s population who feel that it is untenable for Pakistan to focus on the affairs of the Union Territory given its struggling economy but Sharif in the second paragraph of his letter seeks a resolution of disputes over Jammu and Kashmir. Sharif also tries to conjure an image of a clean Pakistan saying that his nation’s ‘contribution in fighting and eliminating terrorism are well-known and globally acknowledged’ which is in contrast with Pakistan’s international image as it still remains in the ‘grey’ list of Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

Earlier in a report the closeness of Sharifs (the meetings between PM Modi and former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif) to India was shown to be beneficial for restoration of ties but it is no secret that Pakistan’s foreign policy is dictated by the Pakistan Army and its spy agency the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) whose actions have not only created instability in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and other states along the Pakistan border but were also instrumental to the reemergence of Taliban who now govern Afghanistan.

Insistence of resolving so-called ‘disputes’ in the Valley – which in most cases arises due to Pakistan’s state-sponsored terrorism – shows that Pakistan foreign office bigwigs and the army are the ones who make the call not the prime minister’s office.

While the exchange of letters is good for optics and the neighbours should work together for a more stable neighbourhood, Shehbaz Sharif is still being pushed to toe the line drawn by Pakistan’s deep-state.