Taken aback by India’s unexpected invitation to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to attend Prime Minister designate Narendra Modi’s oath-taking ceremony in New Delhi on Monday, Islamabad is discussing the issue with all stakeholders, including the powerful Pakistan Army before deciding one way or the other.
Islamabad is likely to announce on Saturday whether Sharif will participate in the event or designate some senior members of his Cabinet to represent him.Reports from Islamabad indicate that Sharif is keen to attend the ceremony in an effort to improve the strained ties between the two countries, but he wants to take everyone on board, including the Army establishment before taking any decision. In the midst of reports that Pakistan Army was not too keen for Sharif to accept India’s invitation, the Pakistani PM held talks with Army chief General Raheel Sharif.
leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Khurshid Ahmed Shah, however, urged Sharif to accept the invitation “as such a gesture will help improve the situation in the region.”Media reports from Islamabad, meanwhile, said Pakistan Foreign Office has also urged Sharif to accept the invitation saying it will be a “mistake” to let this opportunity go.
“The Foreign Office has made the recommendation and the decision will most likely be in favour,” a senior diplomat at the Foreign Office said. “It will be a mistake to let this opportunity go. We need to see beyond today,” the official was quoted by Dawn online as saying.
Favoring the visit, the leader of Opposition told reporters in Islamabad on Friday “better relations between India and Pakistan are in the interest of the poor people in both the countries.”
Foreign Office spokesperson Tasneem Aslam had told reporters at the weekly briefing on Thursday in Islamabad “whether the Prime Minister would attend or not will be decided some time today.”
She said Pakistan’s expectation from the meeting, if it takes place, would be that it should lead to resumption of the dialogue process that would be “meaningful and constructive; a dialogue with a view to resolving the outstanding disputes between our two countries so that this region can have durable peace. We expect this dialogue to be uninterrupted and uninterruptible.”
In New Delhi, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said on Friday, invitations were sent to all heads of Government from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Modi will hold a dinner in their honour on Monday and hold bilateral meetings with the invitees on Tuesday. SAARC leaders including Sri lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala and Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom confirmed their participation. Bangladesh will be represented by Speaker Shirin Chaudhury as Premier Sheikh Hasina is travelling to Japan. Mauritius Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam will also be attending the ceremony.
Cautioning Modi from holding talks, Congress said Pakistan has not dismantled the terror network operating there. Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmed said in the “euphoria” of his swearing-in as Prime Minister, Modi should not forget there is “no ambience” to hold serious talks with Pakistan.
Noting that the attack on the Indian Consulate in Herat in Afghanistan on Friday is also an indication in this regard, Ahmed said: “We all know who assists Taliban in Afghanistan.”On Modi inviting SAARC nation heads including the Pakistani Premier, he said though it is his prerogative, there is no such precedence of inviting any foreigner for the swearing-in.
“But we welcome if he has called him for achieving good relations....We want good relations with our neighbours,” Ahmed said.At the same time, he reminded the PM-designate that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh never visited Pakistan nor did he invite former Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari or Nawaz Sharif.
Elaborating upon it, he said: “Because we had a pre-condition with which the Opposition was also in agreement, that as long as Pakistan does not dismantle the terror network operating from its soil or at least look like it is working towards such a direction, there will be no talks with Pakistan,” he said.
“We are okay if he wants to have a snap with Nawaz Sharif. It is also okay if some photos of the two get published in newspapers. But as long as there is no signal from Pakistan about dismantling the terror network, we should not hold talks with them,” he added.