Pak Press Praises modi, oPPn decries
Pakistan opposition parties accuse Sharif of ‘appeasing India’, while leading daily hails ‘breakthrough’.
Though Pakistan and India on Friday made an attempt in Russia to revive a stalled bilateral dialogue process in a step towards ending recent bitter hostilities, opposition parties back in Pakistan were not impressed. Meanwhile, leading Pakistani newspaper Dawn in its editorial on Saturday praised Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for starting atmosphere for talks.
But soon after the two Prime Ministers — Nawaz Sharif and Narendra Modi — shook hands at the Congress Hall in Ufa signalling a ceasefire in a heated political arena, an infuriated senator Rehman Malik, of the opposition Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), expressed sharp criticism of the ice-breaker meeting.
“The meeting (of) Modi with Sharif clearly demonstrates how disrespectful Modi was towards Sharif,” Malik was cited in a statement as saying.
The former Interior Minister compared Modi to “the czar of Russia” as he described how the two state leaders interacted.
“(Our Prime Minister) was made to walk through a long corridor towards Modi’s chair/throne. (Modi) didn’t show the slightest courtesy under diplomatic norms for his Pakistani counterpart to walk a few steps forward to receive him.”
At the end, he termed Modi’s approach “rude and undiplomatic” and chastised Sharif for “badly hurting the feelings of the Pakistani nation”.
Not one to be left behind, Shireen Mazari of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) expressed dismay over the manner in which Sharif “appeased India” at the meeting.
Mazari said Sharif’s invitation at the talks to the Indian Premier to visit Pakistan was unnecessary and “beyond the requirements of diplomatic protocol” as the same would have gone out as a matter of routine.
The PTI leader was equally disturbed at “the silence on the Kashmir issue” and “Indian involvement” in Balochistan. “Modi raised Mumbai and Sharif agreed to ‘fast track’ the investiga- tions. Not a word on Samjhauta Express ( blasts) was uttered by Sharif,” she fumed.
Prime Minister Sharif’s spokesman Mussadik Malik expressed dismay at the criticism.
“With friends like him
“Sharif has not demonstrated the ability to convince other institutions, particularly the Army, of the imperative to improve ties. Meanwhile, Modi has actually done the opposite.”
(Rehman Malik), who needs enemies,” he wondered.
“He is making a mountain out of a molehill. When two leaders of international stature meet, such minor details do not matter...”
He maintained that PM Modi was the one who initiated contact when he called PM Sharif to extend good wishes for Ramadan.
An editorial in Dawn on Saturday over the meeting that took place on Friday between Prime Ministers Modi and Sharif in Russia said that “progress in the India-Pakistan relationship depends on whether the political leadership is invested in it”.
“Sharif clearly is, but has not demonstrated the ability to convince other institutions, particularly the Army, of the imperative to improve ties. Meanwhile, Modi has actually done the opposite of seeking to improve ties,” it said. The daily said that both sides need to demonstrate they aren’t talking just to show the outside world that they are.
The editorial said that Friday’s meeting “produced several specific breakthroughs that must surely be welcomed in the context of a deteriorating regional security and diplomatic climate”.
“The headlines will focus on Modi accepting the Pakistani premier’s invitation to attend next year’s Saarc summit in Islamabad and if the visit does take place, it would be worth a great deal of symbolism at least, given that Modi’s predecessor Manmohan Singh was unable to visit in his 10 years as prime minister despite ardently wanting to,” it said.
The daily added: “There is reason to hope the visit will actually take place because Modi has made furthering regional relationships, especially with Saarc countries, a foreign policy priority, even if that approach has thus far tended to exclude Pakistan.”
It noted that a refusal to attend the Saarc summit would also deal a significant blow to the organisation, setting it back even further. “Yet, there is, as always, many a slip between cup and lip in India-Pakistan relationship.”
The newspaper went on to say that the decision to focus on how to further the Mumbai-related anti-terrorism trial in Rawalpindi and the mention of specific potential evidence such as the provision of voice samples is also a positive shift from the status quo, which has essentially involved India demanding that Pakistan do more and Pakistan claiming that the trials are in limbo because of India’s non-cooperative approach.