It is being said that Prime Minister will only go out of the country to attend crucial summits.
Advertisement
Pakistan Study Centre Director Dr Massarrat Abid gave a brief overview of the factors which led to India’s prime minister visit to Lahore and described it as a positive move towards construction of better relations between Pakistan and India. In 2016, the Indian prime minster will travel overseas only when it is absolutely necessary.
“Narendra Modi’s surprise Christmas Day visit to Pakistan stunned the world”. Reportedly, Modi who often criticised for splurging too much public money on foreign tours, will travel only if it is quite necessary.
Pakistan Prime Minister Sharif has invited India to maintain talks with the nation on all points, saying that the 2 neighbours can’t reside like enemies.
Limiting his tours will help Modi concentrate more on the home front, particularly his government’s third Union Budget that is likely to be presented in February as well as the looming farm crisis in the country.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif today said it is “high time” India and Pakistan set aside their hostilities and expressed confidence that the of goodwill generated by his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi’s visit to Lahore will persist.
The Indian External Affairs Ministry, however, did not respond to Sharif’s proposal that was peppered with swipes at India for alleged rights violations, for firing at the LoC, and for rejecting the composite dialogue process agreed to in 1997.
Despite the string of big visits expected later in the year as well, Mr. Modi will undertake some travel, according to officials.
Advertisement
Foreign secretary S Jaishankar travels to Tokyo on January 5 for talks while counter-terrorism envoy Asif Ibrahim will be in Jordan later this month.
