Shunning media must for ties

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sudden announcement on Friday afternoon of his visit to Lahore stunned one and all and is being viewed as a masterstroke but experts feel the visit underscores two major policy-approaches. “Prime Minister Modi seems to have made up his mind that there is no option but to engage with Pakistan and that talks are the only way to move forward,” points out former foreign secretary Lalit Mansingh, adding, “the visit is a masterstroke and shows that Mr. Modi is capable of innovative approaches.”

 

The other aspect, feel experts, is that both sides are convinced that significant process can be made in ties if there is no intrusive scrutiny in advance by the media which is why the Indian Government seems to have gone to extraordinary lengths to keep the proposed visit a closely-guarded secret. 

 

Some reports that the visit was planned on the spur of the moment after Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif invited Mr. Modi to visit his home are not finding too many takers. According to this version, the invitation was extended when Prime Minister Modi called up his Pakistani counterpart to wish him on his birthday. But many doubt that plans for such a game-changing trip could have been made at the last minute, with some claiming that plans were firmed up a few days in advance. Mr. Modi also seems to have been inspired by former PM Atal Behari 

 

Vajpayee’s visits to Pakistan and seems keen to consolidate on his image as a “statesman” who has a larger vision for the subcontinent. The visit, the first by an Indian PM in more than 11 years, also indicates the Modi Government’s faith in Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif who will now be enormously strengthened by the Indian Prime Minister’s visit. 

 

Mr. Sharif has been at the receiving end earlier of the Pakistan Army’s wrath on more than one occasion and India seems have decided that it is not in its interest if Mr. Sharif is weakened.

 

But whatever the stealth, foreign policy watchers are unanimous that the move will create an even more positive climate for talks between the two countries and redressal of larger issues such as India’s concerns on terror and Pakistan's focus on the Kashmir issue. 

 

“The visit shows that Mr. Modi is interested in developing ties with Pakistan. There is a broader intention and the sense is that this is good for the country,” feels former foreign secretary Salman Haider. 

 

The United States — which has been consistently pushing for constructive engagement between the two nuclear-armed neighbours — had also recently conveyed to Pakistan's top political and military leadership that improvement of ties with India was key to Pakistan's stability and progress.

 

Mr. Modi's visit to Pakistan will have other implications. For one, it will silence those who have portrayed Mr. Modi as a hawk on Pakistan. 

 

The visit has sent out a strong signal that Mr. Modi is only too willing to walk the extra mile if it means significant improvement in ties. This is significant, considering that former PM Manmohan Singh never visited Pakistan even once during his decade-long stint as PM in the UPA-1 and 2 regimes. 

 

The visit also paves way for his proposed visit to Islamabad for the SAARC summit towards the end of 2016. The visit also indicates that the recent decision of India to begin a dialogue with Pakistan under the ambit of “Comprehensive Bilateral Dialogue” is firmly on track.