LAHORE, Nov 23: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said on Saturday that his government was keen to normalise relations with India in order to realise the dream of a peaceful and prosperous sub-continent.

“If India takes one step for good relations, Pakistan will take two. We even want to put an end to visa requirements between the two countries,” Mr Sharif said in an inaugural address at a literary conference at Alhamra Hall.

He, however, said unfortunate flare-ups like the recent exchange of fire along the Line of Control did not help matters.

“We want peace with India. We have good relations with China and Iran while our relations with Afghanistan are improving. Hence we look forward to having good relations with India too, ” the prime minister added.

Recalling his meetings with Atal Behari Vajpayee, Nawaz Sharif held up the former Indian prime minister as a statesman, stressing that “the kind of dialogue I had with him should be revived”.

APP add: Dwelling on the menace of terrorism, Mr Sharif expressed confidence that his government would succeed in eliminating the scourge, but it would certainly take time.

“All institutions, media and society will have to follow a uniform policy, play their role and refrain from politicising national issues,” said the premier.

He referred to the current trend in the West to malign Islam, observing that “Islam is being held responsible for terrorism and extremism these days. So we now need to highlight its true face.

“The conference should help remove misconceptions about our religion. Projecting the real face of Islam is a great service.”

Nawaz Sharif said Islamic teachings were not based on sectarianism and religious hatred. Rather Islam preached unity, peace, fraternity, love, tolerance and interfaith harmony.

He said the Khilafat-i-Rashida, Persian and Ottoman empires had promoted true Islamic culture and brought about a social revolution in the Arab world.

The prime minister said the people of Bangladesh still lived in the hearts of Pakistanis who, however, should remember how the country was disintegrated and who were responsible for it.He said today’s amazing technological developments owed their origin to Muslim scientists, mathematicians and scholars. Now the West was using media and information technology to propagate its culture.

“We are lucky that Dr Allama Mohammad Iqbal was born in this part of the world. He comprehended problems of the Muslim Ummah and awakened them by highlighting the Islamic ideology and culture through his poetry and writings,” he added.

Mr Sharif described poets and literary personalities as the country’s assets who were doing a great service by reforming the people’s mindset and behaviours.

He announced a grant of Rs20 million for construction of a modern club for poets and literary persons.

He was presented a book by Keval Dheer, a storywriter.

Prime Minister Sharif and Lahore Arts Council chairman Attaul Haq Qasmi exchanged shields.

Earlier, Mr Qasmi presented the address of welcome while retired Justice Javed Iqbal, Dr Ali Bayat from Iran, Ibrahim Muhammad Ibrahim Al-Misri from Egypt, Dr Abdul Wahid from Bangladesh, Prof Locasword from Germany, Editor of the Times of India King Sukh Naz and Dr Naumanul Haq spoke on “Bright Face of Muslim Culture: Its Past, Present and Future”.

A large number of poets, scholars, dramatists, artistes, critics and literary personalities attended the session.