Looking wider he welcomed the change of regime in Kabul, as well he might as outgoing president Karzai had a famously-fractious relationship with Pakistan. It is to be hoped that the new incumbency in Afghanistan will start with a clean sheet, and a reboot of the relationship between our two countries.
Terrorism — domestic and foreign — was touched upon, with the elephant in the room of the crisis provoked by the rise of the Islamic State being recognised as a global threat (and uncomfortably close to our backdoor, but the prime minister dodged that particular bullet). The people of Gaza were in need of a lasting solution to their myriad miseries and the UN itself was in need of substantial reform.
It was not a speech to light up the General Assembly, and offered standard fare from a menu that most would be familiar with. Palatable but bland. The PM’s stay in New York has been characterised by missed opportunities to interact with his fellow leaders either formally or informally, and his meeting with “the Pakistan community” in New York was limited to fewer than 80 people photographed as he addressed them from a podium. Somewhat fewer than the Indian PM is to address later at Madison Square Garden, where an audience of thousands is expected.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 28th, 2014.
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COMMENTS (10)
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If Mr.Sharif and rest of Pakistan have any sense left in them, they would hitch a ride with the 'Modi Wagon'. Mr.Modi is the flavor of the day, whether Pakistanis can stomach it or not. Besides, if Pakistani Govt. do decide to collaborate with India in their economic development, there is no shame or loss of face in that endeavor. After all, isn't it the duty of any government to look for ways to improve the life of their citizens?
Also Modi did meet leaders of Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka on the sidelines of the UNGA meeting. So Modi is not ignoring the neighborhood. He simply has decided that he is not going to give disproportionate attention to one country whose actions have demonstrated a lack of sincerity. He also met the mayor of New York to learn about urban rejuvenation. He will also be meeting corporate leaders of US before he proceeds to meet Obama.
Yes Modi's government is working proactively to improve relations with neighbors - Modi's first foreign visit was to Bhutan and later he isited Nepal. Sushma Swaraj our foreign minister has visited Banladesh and Myanmar apart from Nepal. The odd person out is Pakistan, whose actuons led to cancellation of foreign secretary level talks. Sartaj Aziz admits that it was an error to meet Hurriyat then. http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/sartaz-aziz-pakistan-high-commissioner-hurriyat-meeting-ill-timed-narendra-modi-speech-unga/1/393121.html
As far as interactions with fellow countrymen in US, the difference could not be starker. As you have indicated Nawaz met 80 people while a large crowd was chanting Go Nawaz Go. Modi will be addressing 19000 Indians at the Madison square garden because that is the maximum capacity. Thousands more will be watching the live broadcast of his speech in the Times Square. Not just that speeach watching parties are being organized in 45 American university campuses.
At the time that Modi was making his speech, UN reported that there was unusually high trafic on the UN site not just from India but fron US, Britain and Canada.
Now that the visit is over will ET pls carry a list of prominent leaders ( other than Sartaz Aziz) that PM Nawaz had extensive parleys with. +++++++++++++++++ I want to counter the wrong impression that the visit was merely a shopping trip when there are starving IDPs and Flood Victims in the country. Or was it?
" Palatable but bland." +++++++++++++++++ In other words ' Khichdi'.
" It was not a speech to light up the General Assembly" +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ As if his speeches in Pakistan light up........otherwise he could have been classified as a non conventional source of energy..
" South Asia in general had missed many opportunities to benefit from the latent prosperity of the region." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 'South Asia' also succeeded in delivering a satellite in orbit of Mars in the first attempt. And also not to belittle the feat, ' South Asia' also succeeded in launching a nuclear capable missile with 60 Km range!.
Somewhat fewer than the Indian PM is to address later at Madison Square Garden, where an audience of thousands is expected. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++= Indian Press carried the figure as 60,000.
@Ali Pakistan: " The state of Pakistan could not afford the kind of expenditure that was incurred for this futile visit." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Pls charge it to the Kashmir account...then suddenly it will appear very useful investment.
Unfortunately PM Nawaz's visit to the UN has emerged as a complete failure.
It validates that if there is serious political turmoil at home, when there are corruption charges, governance issues, when justice is evaded at home, when democracy is undermined at home, there is no reason to go to the UN.
The state of Pakistan could not afford the kind of expenditure that was incurred for this futile visit.