Islamabad

Newly-elected Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday thanked PM Narendra Modi for congratulating him and said that his country desires peaceful and cooperative ties with India.

PM Modi had greeted the Pakistani premier after Sharif was sworn in and said in a tweet, "India desires peace and stability in a region free of terror so that we can focus on our development challenges and ensure the well-being and prosperity of our people."

In his response, Sharif tweeted: "Thank you Premier Narendra Modi for felicitations. Pakistan desires peaceful & cooperative ties with India. Peaceful settlement of outstanding disputes including Jammu & Kashmir is indispensable. Pakistan's sacrifices in fighting terrorism are well-known. Let's secure peace and focus on socio-economic development of our people."

In his first address to the National Assembly after being sworn in, Sharif had said, "We want good ties with India but durable peace is not possible until the Kashmir dispute is resolved."

Sharif the leader of the joint opposition took oath as the 23rd Prime Minister of Pakistan on Monday evening after being elected by the National Assembly of the country.

His election as PM brought to an end the political uncertainty that had gripped Pakistan since a no-confidence motion was moved against Sharif's predecessor Imran Khan on March 8.