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India’s Modi arrives in Pakistan on first visit as premier India’s Modi arrives in Pakistan on first visit as premier
(34 minutes later)
ISLAMABAD — India’s Narendra Modi arrived in Pakistan on Friday, his first visit as prime minister to this Islamic nation that has been India’s long-standing archrival in the region.ISLAMABAD — India’s Narendra Modi arrived in Pakistan on Friday, his first visit as prime minister to this Islamic nation that has been India’s long-standing archrival in the region.
The previously unplanned visit is a sign of improving relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. The two heads of government also had an unscheduled meeting at the Paris climate change talks earlier this month. The previously unannounced visit is a potential sign of thawing relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbors. The two heads of government also had an unscheduled meeting at the Paris climate change talks earlier this month.
Since independence from Britain in 1947, India and Pakistan have fought three wars, two of them over Kashmir, the Himalayan region that both claim in its entirety. Since gaining independence from Britain in 1947, India and Pakistan have fought three wars, two of them over Kashmir, the Himalayan region that both countries claim.
Modi landed on Friday afternoon in the eastern city of Lahore and met with Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, state-run media reported. State-run Pakistani TV showed Modi being received by Sharif. Modi landed on Friday afternoon in the eastern city of Lahore and met with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, state-run media reported. The visit coincides with Sharif’s birthday and the wedding of his granddaughter.
Security forces and troops were beefed up at the Lahore International Airport shortly before Modi’s arrival. Earlier in the day, Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said India had informed Pakistan about the visit on Friday. He refused to share any details. Security was beefed up at the Lahore International Airport shortly before Modi’s arrival. Earlier in the day, Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said India had informed Pakistan about the visit on Friday. He refused to share any further details.
From a stop earlier Friday in the Afghan capital of Kabul, Modi tweeted that he is “looking forward to meeting” Sharif in Lahore, “where I will drop by on my way back to Delhi.” He said he also called Sharif and wished him happy birthday. One of the first public signs of the visit came Friday morning when Modi, during a stop in the Afghan capital of Kabul, tweeted that he is “looking forward to meeting” Sharif in Lahore, “where I will drop by on my way back to Delhi.” He said he also called Sharif and wished him happy birthday.
Analysts said the visit was an important development. Sharif’s sprawling residence had been colorfully decorated for his granddaughter’s wedding reception when Modi arrived along with the Pakistani prime minister. The two leaders were later shown sitting together in a room looking happy and relaxed.
“I think it is going to play a significant role in improving ties between the two South Asian archrivals,” said Amanullah Memon, a professor of international relations at a private university in the capital, Islamabad. Analysts viewed the visit as a potential turning point in Pakistani-Indian relations.
After a year of rising tensions, top security officials from India and Pakistan held talks in Thailand’s capital earlier in December, discussing a range of issues, including the disputed Kashmir and ways to maintain peace along the countries’ shared border. “I think it is going to play a significant role in improving ties between the two South Asian archrivals,” said Amanullah Memon, a professor of international relations at Preston University in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad.
Also, two weeks ago, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Pakistan to attend a meeting on Afghanistan. After her talks with Pakistan, she said both sides agreed to resume talks on several topics. Amitabh Matto, an Indian foreign policy expert, described Modi’s birthday diplomacy visit as a “very positive step.”
India accuses Pakistan of arming and training insurgents fighting for Kashmir’s independence from India or its merger with Pakistan, a charge Islamabad denies. More than 68,000 people have been killed in the violence, which began in 1989. “Any step toward trying to stabilize and provide a new beginning to India-Pakistan ties is welcome and needs to be supported by all those who believe that India and Pakistan have a common destiny and it is in their interest to fight together their common problems, including terrorism and economic under-development,” he said.
India also wants Pakistan to bring to justice Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 168 people. Saeed lives in the open in Pakistan and often appears in TV interviews. Tarun Vijay, a spokesman for Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party, praised Modi’s visit as a sign of statesmanship. “This is the best Christmas gift to the mankind which believes in peace and amity. He has risen to the commanding heights of being a statesman who can take a bold step surprising his friends and foes but melting ice in the relations,” Vijay said
Another concern for both countries is the frequent skirmishes along their border in Kashmir. A cease-fire along the India-Pakistan line of control that serves as the Kashmir boundary has largely held since 2003, but firing and gunbattles are fairly common, with each side routinely blaming the other. After a year of rising tensions, top security officials from India and Pakistan held talks in Thailand’s capital earlier in December, discussing a range of issues, including Kashmir and ways to maintain peace along the countries’ shared border. Also, two weeks ago, Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Pakistan to attend a meeting on Afghanistan.
India accuses Pakistan of arming and training insurgents fighting for Kashmir’s independence from India or its merger with Pakistan, a charge Islamabad denies. More than 68,000 people have been killed in ongoing Kashmir violence, which began in 1989.
A cease-fire along the so-called “line of control” that serves as the border between Indian and Pakistani-held Kashmir has largely held since 2003, but cross-border firing and minor skirmishes are fairly common, with each side routinely blaming the other.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, a key separatist leader in the Indian portion of Kashmir, said: “It’s a welcome step. We hope that it is followed by a consistent policy of engagement to resolve the Kashmir dispute. India and Pakistan have to evolve a mechanism to involve the core party to the issue — that is the Kashmiri people.”
India also wants Pakistan to bring to justice Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, the alleged mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed 168 people. Saeed lives openly in Pakistan and often appears on TV interviews; the government claims it lacks the evidence to charge him.
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Associated Press Writer Ashok Sharma contributed to this reports from New Delhi, India. Associated Press writer Ashok Sharma in New Delhi contributed to this report.
Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.