US, UN welcome Modi-Sharif meeting in Pakistan

Amid speculations over how Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting was pre-scheduled with his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Lahore, the truth remained folded below statements and comments by several leaders.

“The two prime ministers agreed to continue and enhance contacts and work together to establish good neighbourly relations”, the statement added.

He said, “I have already written in my book that the two countries’ leadership should come to the table sooner or later and it is a good move by the Indian Prime Minister”.

She said the Indian Prime Minister should also play his role in reducing visa restrictions between the two countries along with stopping human rights violations in the Indian Held Kashmir.

“Looking forward to meeting PM Nawaz Sharif in Lahore today, where I will drop by on my way back to Delhi”, Prime Minister Modi said in a tweet. He (Modi) during his visits to United States, China and Russian Federation was asked to initiate talks with Pakistan.

Modi landed in northeastern Lahore on short notice, sending Pakistani authorities rushing to manage security arrangements.

Modi then flew into Lahore, hugged Sharif, and the two leaders took a helicopter to Sharif’s ancestral residence at Raiwind where they sipped Kashmiri tea and discussed confidence building issues.

Questioning Modi’s “unscheduled” visit, Congress’ senior spokesperson Anand Sharma said his engagement with Pakistan is “frivolous, unpredictable, marked by fits and starts and abrupt U-turns”.

In that environment, Modi’s visit to Lahore was a continuation of efforts by both leaders to find a personal bridge across a vast diplomatic gap. Tensions between Hindu-majority India and mostly Muslim Pakistan risk fueling extremists in South Asia and beyond.

“It’s the first trip to the country by an Indian head of state in a decade – and could be a sign of improving relations between the two neighbours”, the popular National Public Radio said.

Sharif, who attended Modi’s inauguration as prime minister previous year, invited his Indian counterpart to Pakistan when they met in Russian Federation in July.

In Pakistan, opposition senator Sherry Rehman said that while most Pakistanis backed better ties, parliament had not been consulted and it was unclear what concessions Islamabad was ready to make.

Amitabh Matto, an Indian foreign policy expert, described Modi’s birthday diplomacy visit as a “very positive step”. More than 68,000 people have been killed in ongoing Kashmir violence, which began in 1989.

The Punjab Chief Minister and Federal Finance Minister Ishaq Dar were also present at the airport to receive the guest. “People of Kashmir are sacrificing in freedom movement and Nawaz Sharif welcomed the oppressor of Kashmir in Pakistan”, he regretted. Saeed lives openly in Pakistan and often appears on TV interviews; the government claims it lacks the evidence to charge him.