Attacking the PM for his statement in Kabul that Pakistan is a bridge between Afghanistan and India, Mr Vadakkan said both the countries are sovereign and there was no need for any bridge between the two.
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Guus Hiddink: Chelsea boss wants ‘ambition’ at Man Utd
Costa put Chelsea ahead and salvaged a point after a Troy Deeney penalty and an effort from Odion Ighalo had put Watford ahead. Hiddink’s side, though, could have claimed all three points had Oscar not failed to convert a late penalty.
One is too familiar with the complicated love-hate relationship between India and Pakistan.
Carrick and van Gaal target turnaround against Chelsea
The under-pressure Manchester United boss knows he will be facing the axe if his side don’t beat Chelsea at Old Trafford tomorrow. He had described the match as “must-win”, but his side were deservedly beaten 2-0 at a windswept Stoke on Saturday night (AEDT).
Adviser to prime minister on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz said it was unplanned brief stopover of Modi in Lahore on his way back to New Delhi.
Dollar moves away from two-month low against yen in Asian trade
The US unit recovered to 120.35 yen in Tokyo on Monday morning from a two-month low of 120.19 yen on Friday in Tokyo . The dollar ticked down to 120.86 yen from 120.87 yen Wednesday in NY , and from 121.26 yen on Tuesday in Tokyo .
Modi also talked about the initiatives being taken by the government for the disabled people in terms of accessibility etc. He coined a new term for them – “Divyang” (people with extraordinary capabilities) instead of “viklang” (handicapped) – saying most of the times it has been seen that such people have capabilities which even normal people do not have. Modi and Sharif reportedly decided at the COP 21 Conference in Paris to organise these diplomatic exchange meetings.
“He (Modi) has finally concluded that there is no choice but to have dialogue with Pakistan”.
He was greeted by Mr Sharif at the airport and taken by helicopter to the latter’s ancestral house in Raiwind, 42km from Lahore, where the two leaders had a meeting for over 11/2 hours.
In his last edition of ‘ Mann Ki Baat’, Prime Minister Modi expressed concern over the flood situation in Tamil Nadu, climate change, differently-abled people and also asked the SAARC nations to join hands for disaster preparedness.
The US State Department stated Modi’s overture in the direction of Pakistan would “profit the whole area”.
Though Mr Modi’s visit received largely positive feedback in India and Pakistan, some Indian opposition parties criticised the Premier.
Later, the External Affairs Minister visited Pakistan to attend Heart of Asia Conference. The summit will be the first occasion in 2016 that will bring Indian and Pakistan PMs together.
Pakistan’s different political events resembling Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf, Awami National Party and Qaumi Watan Party welcomed the transfer and hoped it might go properly in normalising the relations between the 2 nations. Critics say that Modi has outsourced Indian diplomacy, while supporters described the event as “imaginative diplomacy”. But now officials from both sides are upbeat about the upcoming dialogue, though there is deep mistrust.
While one summit does not make peace, the visit hints that the two countries may now be able to transcend hard issues of territory, terrorism, religious divide, and national identity.
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The writer is a former ambassador and secretary.
