PM Modi And Nawaz Sharif Likely To Meet In Washington In March

It’s the first time an Indian prime minister has visited the rival nation in over a decade. Prime Minister Nawaz and Narendra Modi asked their respective foreign secretaries to design a plan for about three to six months with actionable areas where both sides can cooperate during the upcoming meeting.

The previously unannounced visit is a potential sign of thawing relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. Security was beefed up at the Lahore International Airport shortly before Modi’s arrival.

Meanwhile, sources told this scribe that Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry returned to Islamabad from Lahore and it was likely that a high-level meeting would take place in the Foreign Office today (Monday) where the various contours of the Modi trip and related points would be thrashed out thoroughly. John Kirby, spokesman for the U.S. State Department, said the visit was a welcome one.

Mr Modi, analysts said, was risking his personal reputation in looking for peace with Pakistan, as was Mr Sharif in Pakistan where the military has the last word on ties with India. He has said it would not be fair to expect much from the talks scheduled here next month between the foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India. He refused to share any further details.

Modi broke the ice by telephoning Sharif from Kabul on Friday to extend him birthday greetings.

Modi had congratulated Sharif on the wedding of his granddaughter and also presented him gifts.

“The two leaders determined to take ahead the dialogue course of”. When Sharif invited Modi to Pakistan, the Indian PM is said to have replied that he did have a wish to come to Islamabad, “par aap to Lahore mein hain (but you are in Lahore)”. “This is the best Christmas gift to the mankind which believes in peace and amity”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had mooted about the initiative during his Independence Day speech this year.

While the broad areas have been spelt out by the two countries, sources said there was no bar on including new areas of collaboration and cooperation. It should have been a proper structured state visit. “If FDI was coming we would be welcoming it with both hands”, he added. “How can I reach out to them without your help?” Recently the External Affairs Minister of India Sushma Swaraj had visited Pakistan to attend the 5 Heart of Asia summit in December 2015.

He demanded action on terrorism, with Delhi viewing Pakistan as harbouring terrorists that target India, and progress in the trial of seven Pakistani suspects of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

He said the dialogue process is challenging as it involves hard decisions and important issues.

Congress prime ministers, right from Rajiv Gandhi to Narasimha Rao to Manmohan Singh, despite having agreed to settle issues like Siachen and Jammu and Kashmir, backed out because of indecision.

Aziz said the comprehensive dialogue in January between Pakistan and India will focus on all outstanding issues, including Kashmir.