It will be interesting to see how these disturbing events influence interaction of Sharif and Modi at the Saarc summit
ISLAMABAD: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has kick-started India’s expansionist policy by focusing on economic expansion. His extra focus on the country’s foreign policy, evident from his incessant trips to various countries, from Japan and China to the US, apart from attending international forums, has been a bid to project India as a rising economic power of South Asia. This has surprised the world to a great extent.
India’s foreign policy is based on two factors: expanding India’s economic interests and ensuring security within the region, particularly with regard to its immediate neighbours, including Pakistan. India’s ties with Pakistan, in my opinion, are not developing the way Modi would like them to pan out, as his vision of economic expansionism is deterred by the current status of bilateral ties. Although, Modi had invited the Pakistani premier to his swearing-in ceremony, and also exchanged letters with him, sympathising with the loss occurred during the recent floods in Kashmir, things have been disturbed ever since India cancelled foreign secretary-level talks with Pakistan. Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had sent mangoes as a gift to Modi, which could be termed ‘Mango diplomacy’, to show his intentions for establishing peace. However, the ongoing violation of the ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control has pushed relations back to square one. It will be interesting to see how these disturbing events influence the interaction of Sharif and Modi at the upcoming Saarc summit in Nepal.
Hassan Shahjehan
Published in The Express Tribune, November 25th, 2014.
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