PM Narendra Modi opens new innings with Pakistan

Nearly six months after India cancelled Foreign Secretary-level talks with Pakistan over its envoy’s meeting with Hurriyat leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up counterpart Nawaz Sharif Friday and said Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar will visit Pakistan as part of the SAARC Yatra. Modi spoke to Sharif as part of his “cricket diplomacy”, conveying his best wishes to four SAARC leaders whose countries’ cricket teams are playing in the World Cup starting Saturday. India and Pakistan will meet on Sunday. Besides Sharif, he had phone conversations — the calls lasted 5 to 7 minutes each — with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani. During his conversation with Sharif, Modi said that S Jaishankar, who took charge as Foreign Secretary a fortnight ago, will be embarking on a tour of all SAARC countries, including Pakistan, over the next few months. This “will not be one long visit covering all seven countries” but will be decided on the basis of availability of the Foreign Secretary’s counterparts and other logistical factors, sources said. Jaishankar is likely to undertake the visits after a fortnight, and will complete his tour in the next few months, sources said. Foreign Secretaries usually visit SAARC countries as their first stop, but this time the tour is going to be a more structured affair. This development comes a day after Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit met Jaishankar on Thursday. Officials called it a “courtesy call” and said it was a “cordial” meeting where both discussed the status of Indo-Pak ties. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said Jaishankar will go to Pakistan and other SAARC countries to carry forward the discussions on Modi’s proposals pertaining to SAARC — among them, the SAARC satellite, medical visas, business traveller card, vaccines —- and also “bilateral agenda”. “Sure, we have a bilateral agenda with all SAARC countries and we will pursue that bilateral agenda too within the constraints of short visit to each of these countries… Every leader and diplomat uses every opportunity to push the bilateral agenda,” he said, adding, “Obviously, no one misuses an opportunity available.” In Islamabad, the Prime Minister’s office said in a statement that Modi made a phone call to Sharif Friday morning and informed that the Indian Foreign Secretary would visit Pakistan. “After greetings and pleasantries, Prime Minister Modi informed the Prime Minister that India’s new Foreign Secretary will soon visit all SAARC counties and would also like to visit Pakistan,” the statement said.

Source: Indianexpress

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