Modi, Sharif meet in Paris

“One doesn’t know if Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has mandate to assure the Prime Minister that he genuinely wants to discuss the issues which are in the interest of the people of both the nations”, she said. Some sources said that meeting between the PMs of the two neighbouring countries could help in resolving matters including border-related tensions and the unfriendly climate for Pakistani artists, cricketers and writers in India. Sharif reciprocated Modi’s welcome gesture by saying: “Pakistan desires peaceful co-existence with neighbours”.

Modi will also meet US President Barack Obama later on Monday on the sidelines of the climate summit. Pakistan U.N. Ambassador Maleeha Lodhi hosted the cultural event as part of her efforts to promote the soft image of the country.

The two leaders shook hands as the image of the same was tweeted by India’s Ministry of External Affairs. The meeting was described as an act of diplomatic courtesy.

India has blamed the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, which claimed 166 lives, on groups based in Pakistan and has been demanding action against them, among other things.

The two Prime Ministers had attended the UN General Assembly session in September but did not meet even though they had stayed in the same hotel.

The Indian Prime Minister had last met Sharif in Ufa, Russia, in July, on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit there, and the two leaders had agreed to a blueprint for talks between multiple senior officials.

In occupied Kashmir, senior Hurriyet leader, Shabbir Ahmad Shah and the All Parties Hurriyet Conference have said that New Delhi has always foiled dialogue process between Pakistan and India and tried to delay the resolution of the Kashmir dispute. We have always been willing to talk. “Pakistan and Afghanistan face a common threat”, he said and assured that Pakistan would make all efforts to tackle the menace of terrorism in the two countries.