Committed to electrification of villages: PM Narendra Modi

Akbar, however, said a new chapter in India-Pakistan relations can not be written by a single author but by two authors and who read from the same page. Though the Prime Minister had been projecting India’s inherent strength of “unity in diversity” overseas, the chilling aspects of this year where religious tolerance was undermined and attempts were made to curb freedom of expression had dented the global image of the country, he said.

He said the improvement in relations between the two countries was significant to regional peace, stability and development.

Both local and western media gave a wide coverage to the meeting between the two and termed it a good opportunity to bring durable peace to the region. Modi’s plane stopped in Lahore, where it was met by at the airport by Sharif.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday asserted that the Centre was fully committed to its promise of providing electricity to villages across the country within 1000 days.

Akbar said all have welcomed this development, except one or two political parties.

He emphasizes that it is the first time in history that such a thing happened.

He, however, added that all seeds of such a relationship are laid in “silence” and adding that a number of meetings, including the National Security Agency-level talks in Bangkok, Modi’s meeting with Sharif in Paris and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s visit to Pakistan helped create a conducive atmosphere. “But now the onus has been shifted to him to carry forward this ice breaking after his meeting with Nawaz Sharif in Lahore, otherwise it would turn out to be a futile exercise”, he said.

Modi expressed his desire to greet him in person and premier Sharif not wasted a second to extend him invitation for a brief stopover on his way back.

Some insiders in government informed that Indian diplomat sought permission from Foreign Office Islamabad for moving to Lahore on telephone and all the set procedure of travel outside Islamabad was set aside in emergency.