Islamabad, May 8 (IANS): A Pakistani daily Tuesday sought easing of the "harsh visa rules" for better ties with neighbour India.

An editorial in the News International said the idea that allowing the people of India and Pakistan to establish closer links with each other can act as a key step in easing tensions between the two countries has been brought up many times before.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Nawaz Sharif, during an interaction Saturday with a delegation of Indian businessmen visiting Pakistan under the Aman ki Asha initiative, suggested that to ease this process of normalising ties, Pakistan should unilaterally abolish visa restrictions for Indian nationals, making it easier for people to reach out to each other.

Nawaz Sharif said Islamabad should not wait for New Delhi to make the first move, and should go ahead with visa-easing measures on its own.

"This, if done, would certainly give Pakistan a distinct upper hand and also make a favourable impression in the international community," the daily said.

The editorial said there can be "no doubt that we need to move ahead further. The lifting of tough visa requirements would help do just that".

It hoped that the government has the "sagacity to act along the lines suggested by Nawaz Sharif, by easing the harsh visa rules and thus laying a path that leads to closer links with our neighbour".

"This would be immensely beneficial to the people of both countries - in particular their business communities with freer trade perhaps holding the key to a brighter future for the region as a whole, making it possible to move towards a solution to the many problems that hold us back," the editorial added.