UN Chief welcomes Modi-Sharif meeting in Lahore

Sharif personally acquired Modi at Lahore airport and in addition got here to see him off. In between, the 2 held one-on-one ninety-minute lengthy talks at Sharif’s property close to Lahore.

PM Modi had arrived in Pakistan today evening in a surprise visit following his visits to Russian Federation and Afghanistan. Sharif came to New Delhi when Modi took oath a year ago. “Yes, absolutely. I am here”, Modi replied, the official said. It was agreed immediately that they would have to meet outside the country.

Modi reportedly told Sharif that it was important for the leadership of the two countries to understand each other’s position.

Bansal further said that the visit has a new significance if it can open up the ways for getting raw materials from Central Asia, Afghanistan via Pakistan for India and opening up the markets of Central Asia and Afghanistan for Indian goods.

In his 18 months in power Modi has shown huge confidence in his personal political skills, announcing economic policies himself and fronting a key state election campaign in Bihar – unsuccessfully – instead of fielding a candidate.

When Modi reached at Jati Umrah Raiwind residence, located on the outskirts of Lahore, Sharif’s son Hasan and other family members received him warmly.

Modi said Sharif touchingly recalled his interactions with former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the last Indian prime minister to go to Pakistan and who is now bed-ridden. Hours later “Goodwill Hunting Modi” had made it to Pakistan for the first time in his life, which also marked the first visit across the border by an Indian PM in more than a decade.

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. Scheduled high-level talks between the two were cancelled in August after ceasefire violations across the border.

Geo TV reported that the visit “was not that surprising” as the Lahore Air Traffic Control had been told about it on Thursday.

But there are signs that Pakistan’s powerful army, which has ruled the country for around half its existence, was not entirely happy about the visit.

He added that the foreign policy of the Modi government regarding Pakistan was totally confusing.

While one has to keep the fingers crossed, all peace-loving citizens in India and Pakistan would wish that year 2016 would be a year of peace between both the countries and certainly, they wholeheartedly bless the peace initiatives of Narendra Modi and Nawaz Shariff.

Modi and Sharif had met at the Paris Climate Summit on November 30, laying the foundation for a resumption of the stalled bilateral dialogue.

Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, who accompanied Modi to Lahore, met his Pakistani counterpart in Bangkok earlier this month.

The Foreign Secretaries of India and Pakistan will meet on January 15 in Islamabad, the sources said on Friday.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) wondered as to what was the change that prompted Modi to visit Lahore when BJP opposed talks with Pakistan, and asked why this “yaarana” (friendship).