Surprise visit of PM Modi

Prime Minister unexpected visit to Pakistan

Narender Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Pakistan over a decade. For a record, his visit was surprising. He requested his counterpart Nawaz Sharif just few hours earlier his visit. It gave certain hopes in renewing bilateral relationship with neighbor Pakistan.

Yesterday was Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif birthday. Indian prime minister called Mr. Nawaz to wish him birthday an hour before his departure from Kabul. On this note, Nawaz invited Modi and said,” Since you would be flying over my country anyway, why don’t you drop by?”

Modi agreed on this positively and flew to Lahore from Kabul. This visit had made dream of former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh come true. Manmohan had said,” I dream of a day when, while retaining our national identities, one can have breakfast in Amritsar, lunch in Lahore and dinner in Kabul.” On Friday, present PM Modi realized this dream but in reversible mode, i.e, breakfast in Kabul and dinner in Lahore.

Modi is the fourth Indian PM after Nehru, Rajiv Gandhi and Vajpayee to visit Pakistan. Friday was double celebration for Nawaz – his birthday and his granddaughter’s wedding. On this auspicious occasion, Modi gifted Nawaz an Indian traditional dress and shawl to his wife Kulsoom.  Earlier, Pakistani PM welcome Modi with a warm hug before holding hands of each other. This gesture released a new breeze of talking between two countries.

He left Lahore for Delhi around 7:30 pm. This is interesting that Modi has travelled 4,500 km in 24 hours. After coming India, Modi tweeted: “Spent a warm evening with Sharif family at their family home. Nawaz Sahab’s birthday & granddaughter’s marriage made it a double celebration.”

He also tweeted that he was personally touched by Nawaz’s gesture of receiving and seeing him at airport in Lahore. Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Modi was “infusing a positive spirit in the neighbourhood”.