Chouhan hails Modi’s Lahore stop-over as a positive message

“Prime Minister of Pakistan welcomed the initiative of the Prime Minister of India to visit Lahore”, Pakistani foreign ministry spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said.

As India and Pakistan enhance their engagement over the next weeks, after the abrupt turnaround in relations, the U.S capital will likely be the venue for the next meeting between Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif.

Although the real discussion between the two leaders were held during the helicopter journey from Lahore airport to Jati Umra and their way back but before the media, Modi only said that the meetings must continue and the talks be extended, reported Dunya News.

“Looking forward to meeting PM Nawaz Sharif in Lahore today afternoon, where I will drop by on my way back to Delhi”.

“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.

Senior Indian journalist Ashok Mehta said people of both countries want to see cordial relations.

Former Information Minister Sherry Rehman said the stopover by Narendra Modi (in Lahore) was highly appreciated by democratic forces.

The two diplomats will together work out the modalities and schedule of the meetings under the Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue that was relaunched at the foreign minister Sushma Swaraj’s visit to Pakistan earlier this month.

“During election, Modi had declared with repeated chest beats that he would talk to Pakistan in the language that it understood, but post-polls he landed in that country which he wanted to teach a lesson”, they said.

The two leaders talked for about 90 minutes and shared a meal before Mr Modi flew home.

Modi, it said citing analysts, “appears willing to endure criticism from hard-liners within his own Bharatiya Janata Party who oppose outreach to Pakistan, which they accuse of harboring Islamist militant groups that have frequently attacked India”.

However, this was of secondary interest to a reporter from a Lahore-based news channel, who obviously clueless tried to meet two ends and make a story.

While China has a stated policy of neutrality on the Kashmir issue, Beijing’s recent moves have suggested otherwise, from issuing stapled visas to Indian residents of J&K and going ahead with an economic corridor project with Pakistan, through Pakistan- occupied Kashmir.

Vinod Sharma, Political Editor of Hindustan Times termed the surprise visit of Modi to Pakistan a “pleasant incident” and now the process of dialogue between the two countries should take place.