UN sees Nawaz-Modi meeting as positive development

This was the first meeting between the two prime ministers after Pakistan’s Nawaz Sharif attended Modi’s swearing-in ceremony in New Delhi in May 2014.

The foreign secretaries of the two countries jointly addressed the media and said it was a cordial meeting.

New Delhi had previously refrained from confirming Modi’s participation in the next summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) in the Pakistani capital.

Delays in legal proceedings against the suspected mastermind of the bombings who India wants extradited has angered the country all the more.

“Both sides agreed to discuss ways and means to expedite the Mumbai case trial, including additional information like providing voice samples”, he said.

He also said that the meetings between the Border Security Force of India and its Pakistani counterpart would help stabilise the situation on the India-Pakistan border.”The joint statement at Ufa shows signs of positive movement”.

Modi and Sharif met while attending a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, held in the Russian city of Ufa.

He further said that both the leaders, during their hour-long meeting, conveyed to each other that they were prepared to discuss “all outstanding issues” and cooperate to eliminate the menace.

A decision has also been taken for early meetings of BSF Director General and his counterpart from Pakistan Rangers followed by that of DGMOs.

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.

“Yet, there is, as always, many a slip between cup and lip in the India-Pakistan relationship”.

Pakistan Foreign Secretary Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry told the news men that the prime ministers of two countries agreed upon making joint efforts to curb terrorism.

In April, when a Pakistani court freed on bail Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, accused of plotting the attacks, the move drew swift condemnation from India, which warned that relations were deteriorating. Officials overseeing Pakistani and Indian border issues will also meet, although Chaudhry gave no dates.

The meeting comes days after Modi telephoned Sharif on 16 June to convey Ramadan greetings and stressed the need for peaceful and bilateral ties. But the discussions seems that they are not necessarily a prelude to a resumption of the dialogue process between the two countries.