Islamabad/New Delhi: In what has raised a glimmer of hope for the revival of bilateral ties that have been virtually moribund for over a year, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has decided to attend the swearing-in of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister on Monday. The acceptance has come after three days of suspense over the invite extended to him by Mr Modi.
Mr Sharif finally announced late Saturday morning that he would travel to India for the swearing-in of the BJP leader and his Cabinet on Monday. A statement issued by the Pakistan Prime Minister’s office on Saturday sounded an optimistic note for the forthcoming visit, saying, “The occasion will provide an opportunity to devise a strategy for moving forward towards bringing peace to the region and normalise ties with India for which Pakistan has always expressed determination and resolve.”
The Pakistan PM’s decision has also raised expectations for an early resumption of the stalled composite dialogue process between the two countries.
On Saturday, neither the Indian nor Pakistani side was willing to enunciate any outcome they may expect from the Sharif-Modi meeting, though both held out hope for a fresh beginning for bilateral relations.
Sources in New Delhi said the Modi-Sharif meeting would be good in terms of the two leaders understanding and getting to know each other. Mr Sharif’s media adviser Tariq Azim was quoted by TV channels as saying that the meeting should not be burdened with too many expectations. However, he conceded that it marked a fresh beginning for bilateral ties.
Bilateral relations had improved during the last tenure of the BJP when Atal Behari Vajpayee was PM. He rode on a bus to Lahore in 1999 when none other than Mr Sharif was PM and the two signed a peace accord. Three months later, though, the two countries were locked in the Kargil war.
Like the other seven leaders, the Pak PM too will have a limited bilateral meeting with Mr Modi and will call on President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday. Also part of the Pak PM’s delegation will be adviser on national security and foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz, special assistant on foreign affairs Tariq Fatemi and foreign secretary Aizaz Chaudhry.
As reported by Deccan Chronicle earlier, Mr Sharif had decided on Thursday itself to accept Mr Modi’s invite but was forced to delay an official announcement as he sought to build a consensus for his India trip.
He had to battle stiff opposition to the trip, both from his country’s military establishment and hardliners, particularly as the invite came from the leader of a party that’s seen as being inimical to Pakistan.
It’s learnt that Shahbaz Sharif, the younger brother of the Pak PM and chief minister of Punjab province, met Pakistan Army Chief Gen. Raheel Sharif on Friday and discussed Mr Modi’s invitation with him.
Only after the Pak PM took religious parties, the military as well as local Kashmiri leaders on board was an announcement made on Saturday, sources said. Mr Sharif and his allies also contacted coalition partners and Opposition parties to make it a “unanimous decision”.
For now, there is no mention of any meeting with the All-Parties’ Hurriyat Conference (APHC) or other Kashmiri leaders in Mr Sharif’s Delhi schedule. In the past, meetings of Pakistani ministers with Kashmiri leaders during their official visits to Delhi have always riled the Indian government.
The Opposition leader in the Pakistan National Assembly, Mr Khurshid Shah of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), said Mr Sharif’s India visit will have a positive impact on the regional situation and hoped bilateral relations would improve swiftly.
The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazal) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman also backed the decision. He said by accepting the invitation, Pakistan has given a clear message that it wants a peaceful settlement of all outstanding issues with India, including Kashmir.
Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf president Makhdoom Javed Hashmi said Mr Sharif’s decision is in the interest of the country and there would be progress on core issues between the two countries.
Awami National Party leader Ghulam Ahmad Bilour too said Mr Sharif has taken "a very good decision".
