The optics of S Jaishankar agreeing to visit Pakistan amid tensions with Canada and shaking of hands and a brief conversation with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif indicated the opening of a window of opportunity for further engagement.

Former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif expressed optimism that Jaishankar's presence in Pakistan could signal a fresh chapter in the bilateral relationship.

The visit of India's foreign minister to Pakistan earlier this week was a "good beginning" that could lead to a thaw in relations between the two rivals, former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was quoted as saying by Indian media on Friday.

Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise trip to Lahore in December 2015, Sharif said he was not happy with the ”long-pause” in the ties between the two countries and hoped that both sides should look ahead with a positive approach.

Nawaz Sharif, who doesn’t hold any position in the Pakistan government, talked to Indian journalists and urged both sides to ‘now move forward’.

Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has called for renewed efforts to mend ties with India. He described External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s recent visit to Islamabad for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting as a “good opening” and an opportunity for both nations to move beyond their troubled history.

He said former Pakistan PM Imran Khan used words that destroyed the relationship. As leaders of two countries and neighbours, we should not even think let alone utter such words.