Prime Minister Narendra Modi Visits Pakistan Friday Dec 25,2015

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.