Delhi invitation: Modi meeting pencilled in, despite uncertainty
PM Nawaz turns to close aides and stakeholders for advice on trip.
However, a senior official, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Express Tribune that a bilateral meeting between Nawaz and Modi has already been fixed if “our prime minister decides to visit.” PHOTO: REUTERS
ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is consulting his close aides and other ‘stakeholders’ on whether to accept India’s unprecedented invitation to attend the swearing-in ceremony of prime minister-in-waiting Narendra Modi.
Although a formal announcement was supposed to be made on Thursday, official sources said the decision will now be taken today (Friday) after taking all stakeholders, including the army, into confidence.
However, a senior official, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Express Tribune that a bilateral meeting between Nawaz and Modi has already been fixed if “our prime minister decides to visit.”
A source in Pakistan’s High Commission in New Delhi disclosed that they had received ‘positive signals’ from the government so far and it was likely that Prime Minister Nawaz would respond to the invitation positively.
However, the delay in the formal announcement is apparently attributed to concerns expressed by the country’s security establishment.
The Express Tribune has learnt that other options such as sending Punjab Chief Minister Shabaz Sharif or Prime Minister’s Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz to India are also being considered if Nawaz opts out of the visit.
“It is a normal practice that if the head of the government has some pre-occupations, he/she can nominate somebody else to represent him,” said foreign office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam at her weekly briefing in Islamabad on Thursday. She confirmed that a final decision had not been taken yet.
When asked, Tasnim said she would not like to speculate about Pakistan’s expectations from the incoming government of India. However, she hoped that stalled peace process with India would resume.
“We expect that when the new government takes over in India, realising the importance of having peace in the neighborhood, the dialogue process between Pakistan and India will resume,” she added. She maintained that Pakistan not only wanted the dialogue to be uninterrupted and uninterpretable but also meaningful and constructive one with a view to resolving all outstanding issues.
Congress criticises, Kashmir leaders welcome invite
India’s Congress party on Thursday, criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for inviting Prime Minister Nawaz to Modi’s swearing-in ceremony, Outlook Weekly reported. At the same time, political leader in Indian Kashmir welcomed the move, according to ANI news agency.
Talking to reporters, Congress leader Manish Tewari pointed out that BJP voiced a lot of anti-Pakistan rhetoric during its election campaign. “And now you have this invitation to Prime Minister of Pakistan.”
The Congress leader added that the BJP had earlier criticised their premier Manmohan Singh as well for moving ahead with normalisation with Pakistan.
The chief minister of Indian Kashmir Omar Abdullah, on the other hand, welcomed the move. “Excellent move by Modi to invite SAARC leaders, especially Pakistani prime minister for his swearing in. Hope this is beginning of sustained talks,” he said in a post on Twitter.
Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, chairman of the moderate Hurriyat, too welcomed the decision, adding this should also translate into addressing the Kashmir problem in line with the aspirations of its people.
US not attending Modi inauguration
Welcoming hopes of better ties between Pakistan and India, the US on Wednesday said it did not plan to attend Modi’s inauguration.
“Broadly speaking, we welcome increased engagement between India and Pakistan and their leaders and other... leaders in the region,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. “[But] we don’t have any plans to send a representative from the US. It’s standard for events and inaugurations in India, so it should come as no surprise,” she told reporters.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 23rd, 2014.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is consulting his close aides and other ‘stakeholders’ on whether to accept India’s unprecedented invitation to attend the swearing-in ceremony of prime minister-in-waiting Narendra Modi.
Although a formal announcement was supposed to be made on Thursday, official sources said the decision will now be taken today (Friday) after taking all stakeholders, including the army, into confidence.
However, a senior official, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Express Tribune that a bilateral meeting between Nawaz and Modi has already been fixed if “our prime minister decides to visit.”
A source in Pakistan’s High Commission in New Delhi disclosed that they had received ‘positive signals’ from the government so far and it was likely that Prime Minister Nawaz would respond to the invitation positively.
However, the delay in the formal announcement is apparently attributed to concerns expressed by the country’s security establishment.
The Express Tribune has learnt that other options such as sending Punjab Chief Minister Shabaz Sharif or Prime Minister’s Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz to India are also being considered if Nawaz opts out of the visit.
“It is a normal practice that if the head of the government has some pre-occupations, he/she can nominate somebody else to represent him,” said foreign office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam at her weekly briefing in Islamabad on Thursday. She confirmed that a final decision had not been taken yet.
When asked, Tasnim said she would not like to speculate about Pakistan’s expectations from the incoming government of India. However, she hoped that stalled peace process with India would resume.
“We expect that when the new government takes over in India, realising the importance of having peace in the neighborhood, the dialogue process between Pakistan and India will resume,” she added. She maintained that Pakistan not only wanted the dialogue to be uninterrupted and uninterpretable but also meaningful and constructive one with a view to resolving all outstanding issues.
Congress criticises, Kashmir leaders welcome invite
India’s Congress party on Thursday, criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for inviting Prime Minister Nawaz to Modi’s swearing-in ceremony, Outlook Weekly reported. At the same time, political leader in Indian Kashmir welcomed the move, according to ANI news agency.
Talking to reporters, Congress leader Manish Tewari pointed out that BJP voiced a lot of anti-Pakistan rhetoric during its election campaign. “And now you have this invitation to Prime Minister of Pakistan.”
The Congress leader added that the BJP had earlier criticised their premier Manmohan Singh as well for moving ahead with normalisation with Pakistan.
The chief minister of Indian Kashmir Omar Abdullah, on the other hand, welcomed the move. “Excellent move by Modi to invite SAARC leaders, especially Pakistani prime minister for his swearing in. Hope this is beginning of sustained talks,” he said in a post on Twitter.
Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, chairman of the moderate Hurriyat, too welcomed the decision, adding this should also translate into addressing the Kashmir problem in line with the aspirations of its people.
US not attending Modi inauguration
Welcoming hopes of better ties between Pakistan and India, the US on Wednesday said it did not plan to attend Modi’s inauguration.
“Broadly speaking, we welcome increased engagement between India and Pakistan and their leaders and other... leaders in the region,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said. “[But] we don’t have any plans to send a representative from the US. It’s standard for events and inaugurations in India, so it should come as no surprise,” she told reporters.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 23rd, 2014.