Indian PM Makes Surprise Stopover In Pakistan

Earlier Friday, Modi tweeted from Afghanistan that he spoke with Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and passed on birthday wishes.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi left Pakistan’s eastern city on Friday after “infusing a positive spirit in the neighborhood”, the spokesman of India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Vikas Swarup, said on Twitter.

The last Indian prime minister to visit Pakistan was Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who traveled to Islamabad for a regional summit in January 2004 where he met then-President Pervez Musharraf. There was no compelling official need to stop over in Lahore to greet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on his birthday.

The two Prime Ministers flew to Sharif’s estate in Lahore named Jati Umra, after his family’s ancestral home in a Punjabi village in India, Pakistan state TV reported. He said that during the brief meeting the two PMs decided that as a part of the comprehensive dialogue, the foreign secretaries of the two countries would meet in mid-January.

A Pakistani official said Modi also blessed the granddaughter of Sharif on her wedding.

Members of the Indian Youth Congress in New Delhi also staged a protest against the visit, during which they burned an effigy of Modi.

Modi was welcomed at the Lahore airport by Sharif, who the report said “has been an advocate of a better relationship with India and is eager to enhance trade ties”. Sources familiar with the matter said the trip may been finalised at the last minute though the Indian leader may have had a stopover in Lahore in mind for some time. He said Modi has become a target of political parties as he has shown them mirror.

After spending about two hours with Modi at his residence, Sharif went to the Lahore airport along with Modi to see him off.

Modi was accorded a red carpet welcome as PM’s special IAF Boeing 737 plane made a smooth touchdown at 4.20 local time(4.50 IST).

The re-engagement with Pakistan is a good step & a very welcome development.

Questioning the intent behind his visit, Congress rejected claims of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj that the Prime Minister’s move was “statesman-like” and said it was “pre-arranged” by a businessman.

India and Pakistan have had troubled ties for decades over border disputes and terrorism accusations.

“And the PM said to him, ‘Please come, you are our guest, please come and have tea with me, ‘” he said.

He arrived in Kabul early Friday morning and inaugurated Afghanistan’s new parliament building that was constructed with Indian assistance. “And all of us in the region – India, Pakistan, Iran and others – must unite in trust and cooperation behind the common goal and in recognition of our common destiny”.