But one agitated Pakistani reporter in Lahore had a bone to pick with the large Indian contingent.
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Only national security advisor Ajit Doval, foreign secretary, S Jaishanker and Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup accompanied Modi to Sharif’s residence for high tea.
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The two T20 Internationals will be played on 7 January in Mount Maunganui and 10 January at Auckland. It’ll be great to have him back in the mix.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sudden visit to Lahore on December 25 left many surprised in India as well as in Pakistan.
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I think he’s trustworthy. “He is a senator, and he has made a lot of critical decisions and a lot of intelligent decisions”. Sen. “Everyone on that stage talks tough”.
The Lahore bonhomie is expected to lead to a productive foreign secretary dialogue with all outstanding issues including Kashmir on the table and also ensure that the Saarc summit next year is not held hostage to the bumpy ties between India and Pakistan, as it had happened in the past.
In the run up to this visit, Modi and Sharif shook hands at a conference in the Russian city of Ufa in July and had a brief meeting in Paris at the start of this month. This is a good idea as a traditional build-up to an Indian PM’s visit to Pakistan would have seen different interest groups bringing all kinds of pressure to bear on the two governments…
India’s Ambassador to Pakistan, TCA Raghavan, was actually taking a relaxed holiday in Islamabad when he received a call from the Indian Prime Minister’s secretary from Kabul (Modi flew from Moscow into Kabul to inaugurate the new Afghan Parliament building, which India has built at a cost of $90 million) informing him about the impending visit.
“Both leaders agreed that it was extremely important that the leaders of both countries should understand each other’s point of view so that the doors of prosperity could open for their people”, Chaudhry said. So far, the two governments have not confirmed the issues to be discussed at the FS-level talks. If the leadership took any step to improve their relationship it would have positive impact in future line of action, he added. Mr. Modi’s position in India is relatively secure. In India, many noted that Nawaz Sharif is perhaps the wrong focus point for Modi’s outreach because, after all, in Pakistan, the real power rests with the chief of army staff, General Raheel Sharif (no relation to the prime minister).
Initial optimism about a revival of ties was short-lived as the two countries traded heavy fire across their disputed border in the Himalayan territory of Kashmir which claimed dozens of lives on both sides. Remaining 100 members of the entourage remained at the airport.
Modi, meanwhile, has made a political career out of posturing as a Hindu strongman and issuing vows to put Pakistan in its place.
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India’s main opposition Congress party, however, was quick to criticize Modi’s “irresponsible” decision. It was unclear, however, when Modi’s visit itself was planned.
