That said, it’s telling that Modi flew into Lahore from Kabul where he indirectly referred to Pakistan as sponsoring terrorism in Afghanistan.
Advertisement
He calls Trump gross? Ex-Obama staffer who groped cardboard Hillary forgot
We are not responding to Trump but everyone who understands the humiliation this degrading language inflicts on all women should. Trump, so often called on to admit to a falsehood or apologize, demanded a retraction from Clinton.
Sharif hugged Modi after he landed at the airport in the eastern city of Lahore and the two left by helicopter for Sharif’s nearby family estate. 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.
Israeli-Palestinian violence mars mood as Christians celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem
Israel built the barrier a decade ago to stop a wave of suicide bombings. Christmas carols were sung in both Arabic and English.
Prime Minister Modi had yesterday made a surprise visit to Pakistan.
GRAPHIC: How Hiddink’s Chelsea could finish Boxing Day in the relegation mire
Danny Drinkwater should be unavailable, too, as he suffered a hamstring injury and is set to return after the turn of the year. Premier League hot-shot Vardy, 28, has already become a £30m January target for Chelsea after his incredible goalscoring form.
Since independence from Britain in 1947, India and Pakistan have fought three wars, two of them over Kashmir – the Himalayan region that both claim in its entirety.
Spurning official talks in the capital Islamabad, India’s leader chose to make an intimate trip to Sharif’s ancestral residence near Lahore Friday, where he was celebrating his birthday and the wedding of his granddaughter.
Indian foreign minister Sushma Swaraj met with Sharif in Pakistan after a security meeting this month, discussing expanded dialogue with an eye toward a rapprochement.
“It’s the first trip to the country by an Indian head of state in a decade u2014 and could be a sign of improving relations between the two neighbours”, the popular National Public Radio said.
“The meeting between the two premiers was held in a cordial atmosphere”.
As diplomatic theater, the meeting could hardly have been more colorful: Modi announced the visit on Twitter en route from an official visit to Afghanistan.
The last visit to Pakistan by an Indian prime minister was in 2004 by then leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is credited with bringing about a thaw in relations with Islamabad.
“It was agreed that foreign secretaries will meet in Islamabad next month”, Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chowdhury.
“Today is a good day for Pakistan and India”, said Aitzaz Ahsan, a leader of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party, while talking with Geo, a private television news network.
“What has changed between India and Pakistan that the Prime Minister dropped in for tea in Lahore?”. Since Modi came to power the two leaders have met a sum total of six times.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the surprise meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Lahore, hoping that the bilateral dialogue will be maintained and strengthened going forward.
Ahead of his address, he and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani jointly inaugurated Afghanistan’s new parliament building which was constructed with Indian assistance of $90 million. India’s presence in Afghanistan has been a matter of deep disquiet for Pakistan.
Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Pakistan as “a pleasant move”, defence expert Alok Bansal on Saturday said the visit could be a new chapter of India-Pakistan relationship.
Advertisement
The conflict has had broader implications as the rivals jockey for influence elsewhere in South Asia, particularly in Afghanistan.
