Pakistan welcomes Modi’s ‘goodwill visit’, expresses desire to carry forward

“If aggressive attitude of India ends after the meeting of the prime ministers of Pakistan and India at Jati Umra, it can be termed positive”, he said in a statement here on Saturday.

They held talks and made a decision to open ways for peace for the “larger good” of the people of the two countries.

He dispelled the impression that the staff of the Indian prime minister visited Lahore without any visa.

While Pakistan’s army may have changed its thinking on talks, even the landmark Modi visit or support from influential facilitators does not guarantee success in a fraught peace process where all sides remain deeply suspicious.

Modi, on Friday, during his return from Kabul had a surprise stop-over at Lahore and went to the home of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Shairf on his birthday.

The leaders agreed that their Foreign Secretaries would meet in mid-January to restart talks, the Xinhua news agency reported quoting unidentified sources.

He said now the two leaders have met at least five times and the warmth of relations created by the Lahore meeting would hopefully have an impact on the formal dialogue.

And during his visit, PM Modi apparently told Sharif – “jung bahut karli”. Later that evening, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhary announced a meeting between him and his Indian counterpart would take place in mid-January.

Modi and Sharif have had a stop-start diplomatic relationship since the Indian premier’s surprise invitation to Sharif to his inauguration in May 2014.

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 (Modi) has finally concluded that there is no choice but to have dialogue with Pakistan”.

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and other Indian officials were also present. The MoS also hit back at Congress for “useless criticism” over Modi’s visit to Pakistan.

On the other hand, Nalin Kohli from BJP says, “Better relations with Pakistan are in interest of the region, we will keep raising our concerns too”.