The Advisor dispelled the impression that the entourage of the Indian Prime Minister visited Lahore without any visa.
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The US, UN and China Saturday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise visit to Pakistan, saying improved ties between the two neighbours will benefit the entire region. A move that is seen to have reset the relationship between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, paving the way for official dialogue to resume next month.
The meeting in late March between the two prime ministers will give them a chance to review the progress of that dialogue, sources added.
The Indian prime minister’s visit had a positive impact in Pakistan and the opposition parties in Pakistan welcomed the visit and hoped that it will help in reducing tensions.
A joint committee chaired by the two home ministers will meet annually to deal with common security challenges, including for the first time cross-border terrorism.
Assam CM Tarun Gogoi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is more focused on foreign policy than on national issues on which he rode to power. “There is a need of enhancing cooperation between India and Pakistan so that poverty and other issues of South Asia should be addressed”, he said.
“We must not forget this is the same month in which East Pakistan got separated from us and Modi admitted to have conspired that standing in Dhaka”, said Saeed.
The process of resumption of talks was set in motion after a meeting between Prime Ministers of India and Pakistan in Paris on November 30 on the sidelines of Climate Change Conference.
Noting that Modi “showed a knack for wielding what can be a potent diplomatic weapon-the element of surprise”, Time magazine called his Friday visit to Pakistan as “The biggest surprise of all”.
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The news of the stopover was announced by Modi on Twitter: “Looking forward to meeting PM Nawaz Sharif in Lahore today afternoon, where I will drop by on my way back to Delhi”. Sharif, who was in Lahore for his granddaughter’s wedding, said he won’t be able to make it to Islamabad and requested Modi to come to Lahore.
