Moscow to Delhi via Lahore: Narendra Modi’s foreign policy stunner
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif greets Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Lahore airport on Friday, December 25, 2015
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's to Russia on December 23 and 24,2015 part of the annual summit process between India
and Russia, was intended to bring bilateral ties with Russia to the
foreground again and see several major, exciting defence and other
deals, including closer joint anti-terrorism collaboration.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi decided to return to Delhi from Moscow not only with an
unannounced visit to Kabul but, for the first time ever by an Indian
Prime Minister, “drop in” for an unscheduled visit to the Pakistani city
of Lahore, to meet the Pakistani Prime Minister.
“Looking forward to meeting PM Nawaz Sharif in Lahore today
afternoon, where I will drop by on my way back to Delhi,” tweeted Modi
around noon on December 25, sending the Indian establishment into a
frenzy of preparation and the media too stunned to know how to react.
Modi tweeted his plan soon after tweeting that he had called to wish
Sharif on his birthday. The Indian Prime Minister, who manages his own
twitter handle @narendramodi, communicates primarily through tweets.
India’s Ambassador to Pakistan, TCA Raghavan, was actually taking a
relaxed holiday in Islamabad when he received a call from the Indian
Prime Minister’s secretary from Kabul (Modi flew from Moscow into Kabul
to inaugurate the new Afghan Parliament building, which India has built
at a cost of $90 million) informing him about the impending visit.
Raghavan had to take a helicopter to cover the 370 km distance from the
Pakistani capital, Islamabad, to Lahore to make it in time to receive
Modi at the airport.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was in his residence at Raiwind just
outside Lahore for his grand-daughter’s wedding celebrations and his own
birthday. Sharif had apparently invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop
over for tea and the Indian Prime Minister just accepted the
invitation.
Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif personally came to the airport to receive his Indian
counterpart, after which they both flew in the same helicopter to the
Pakistan PM’s ancestral home.
They met for a little less than two hours
at Sharif’s festively lit home, and talked about improving ties.
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