Modi to visit Pakistan shortly: Sushma Swaraj calls PM a ‘statesman’

PM Modi said he will meet his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Lahore on Friday afternoon on his way back to New Delhi from Kabul.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s favourite dish “Saag” was among other vegetarian delicacies prepared for him during a lunch-cum-dinner at Jati Umrah residence of his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif.

It was a telephone call from Modi from Kabul greeting Sharif on his birthday which triggered the dramatic journey – his first to Pakistan and the first by any Indian prime minister in 11 years.

Earlier in the day, Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said India had informed Pakistan about the visit on Friday. Modi was also given a static guard of honour.

Putin also backed New Delhi’s bid to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council, pointing out the two countries’ shared position on several worldwide issues. “And, all of us in the region – India, Pakistan, Iran and others – must unite… behi this common objective”, Modi said. “We have always been saying (that) engagement with Pakistan is needed but BJP was opposing”.

“We know that Afghanistan’s success will require the cooperation and support of each of its neighbors”, he said.

Modi is in Afghanistan where he held bilateral talks with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani.

The meeting lasted over one hour, after which Sharif saw Modi off at Lahore airport. However, the meeting didn’t last long.

“Bangkok was equally surprising; Sushma Swaraj’s visit to Islamabad was also surprising”.

“The meeting between the two premiers was held in a cordial atmosphere”.

“It was a goodwill visit and the two sides made a decision to understand each other’s reservations and restart the comprehensive dialogue in a positive manner”, said Chaudhry.

Despite Russia’s simultaneous proximity to both China and Pakistan from a strategic angle, India has strengthened defence ties with its “reliable friend”, thus, indicating a change in the geopolitical scenario in Asia.

The Indian Foreign Office has already confirmed the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Islamabad for attending the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in September 2016.

Meanwhile at Lahore Airport flight operations have been severely affected with flights being diverted or being grounded while high security presence is already in place.

Modi had left on Wednesday for a two-day visit to Russian Federation for the annual summit-level meeting during which the two countries signed 16 agreements, including those related to defence and nuclear production.

On Wednesday, Modi announced a large-scale development program for the country’s armed forces, which could be worth $150 billion. He added that the meeting is likely to have been preceded by some “behind the door” preparation. Images of Modi inaugurating the new Afghan Parliament, built by India, could not have gone down well with the Pakistani hardliners, who see Afghanistan as Pakistan’s backyard which India shouldn’t mess around with, and also accuse India’s intelligence agencies of aiding anti-Pakistan activities in Afghanistan.