Outgoing Indian envoy to Pakistan meets Nawaz Sharif

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to meet Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif next in Washington, D.C., on the side lines of a multilateral summit in March end.

“Humein bhi kabhi mehman-nawazi ka mauka dijiye (Let us also be your host)”, Nawaz Sharif told Narendra Modi when the Indian PM called his Pakistani counterpart from Kabul on Friday to greet him on his birthday.

Gautam H. Bambawale, at present Indian ambassador to Bhutan, will succeed Raghavan as India’s new high commissioner to Pakistan.

The Adviser dispelled the impression that the entourage of the Indian Prime Minister visited Lahore without any visa. “I think the Prime Minister has in fact disappointed people and every ordinary citizen of this country”, said RJD leader Manoj Jha to ANI. The two leaders discussed cross-border terrorism, insurgency, cross border tensions, and discussion were also held on the Kashmir issue.

Gupta said India was giving Mi-25 helicopters to Afghanistan and agreed to expand training opportunities for Afghan security and defense forces, and Prime Minister assured of all possible help in the development of infrastructure.

Aziz said the visit of Modi was a goodwill visit and it has been welcomed by majority of people in Pakistan and India and the worldwide community.

Sources said Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar is likely to have review meetings with nearly all the secretaries and departments concerned to understand the “possible new areas” of cooperation, before he heads to Islamabad.

Manmohan’s second term yielded six meetings – four with Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and two with Zardari – for an overall 10-year record of one meeting a year, a strike rate Modi threatens to far outstrip. India accuses Pakistan-based militants for masterminding the 2008 Mumbai attacks that left 166 dead.

The JUI-F chief said that the Parliament being the supreme national institution should be taken into confidence prior to making any decision regarding dialogues with Indian and all stakeholders should be consulted to settle the agenda of bilateral talks. His connect was excellent when he was not the Prime Minister.

Modi said the Government will design the programme according to the needs of the country. Remaining 100 members of the entourage remained at the airport, he added.

The news of the stopover was announced by Modi on Twitter: “Looking forward to meeting PM Nawaz Sharif in Lahore today afternoon, where I will drop by on my way back to Delhi”.