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.

Jaishankar was among nearly a dozen leaders participating in the gathering in Islamabad, nearly a decade since an Indian foreign minister has visited amid frosty relations between the two nuclear powers.

Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has said the recently concluded Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit could serve as a new beginning for Pakistan and India to mend their ties.

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.

Nawaz Sharif, the former prime minister of Pakistan, said he was not pleased by the ‘long pause’ in the relationship between the two countries.