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India’s Modi pays surprise visit to Pakistan
The warm hug between Modi and Sharif was a shock to the people, which was the first time since Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s historic visit in 2004. “[Modi] departs from Pakistan after a few hours in Lahore”, official spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted.
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Indian Air Force jumbo jet land in the late afternoon at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport where Prime Minister Sharif flanked by his cabinet ministers, received Prime Minister Modi. India’s foreign secretary S. Jaishankar argued that India could not be a leading power if the neighborhood was not with India as “you need your region to root for you”.
Chowdhury said the two premiers agreed to “open ways for peace and better atmosphere”, while understanding each other’s concerns.
A meeting of their top diplomats is now set for January in Islamabad, indicating a potential thaw in ties between two countries that have fought three wars, along with countless close calls, since gaining independence from Britain in 1947. Modi notably invited Sharif to New Delhi for his inauguration as prime minister previous year, a visit that held out hopes of better relations that, within months, was trumped by another round of tensions. The move was seen as a sign that Pakistan’s powerful military supported the diplomatic push. An average Indian and Pakistani do not bear ill will towards each other as has been seen several times in the past.
“Tomorrow is Dawood Ibrahim’s birthday… if the prime minister can succeed in bringing him back to India, then we shall welcome and support his meeting with Pakistan Prime Minister today”, Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut said in Mumbai.
Modi wished Sharif well on his birthday via Twitter, an overture likely meant to help mend fences. “He(Modi) did not know about the marriage”, he said. Moments before leaving Kabul, Modi greeted Sharif on his birthday over telephone.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also welcomed the meeting between Prime Minister Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Lahore.
“Yes, absolutely. I am here”, Modi replied, according to the official. The men flew by helicopter to Sharif’s private residence in Raiwind, which was grandly festooned for the wedding.
“Beyond the noise, a personal connect. The Prime Ministers discuss #IndiaPakistan relations in Raiwind”, tweeted External Affairs Ministry spokesman.
In August, talks were canceled over an agenda conflict, only to have the national security advisers of both countries meet recently for surprise dialogue in Bangkok, Thailand. The development surprised many and it was announced with a joint press release only after the meeting was over.
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Having taken this initiative for peace, there is huge responsibility on the shoulders of Narendra Modi and Nawaz Shariff to further take the efforts forward, inspite of the opposition that they would get in both the countries from vested interests, self centred political parties and section of hostile media. Sharif recalled his visit to India during the 1982 Asian Games, during which he travelled through Punjab and Haryana, and reached the conclusion that most people in both countries wanted peace.