Jammu: Welcoming Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Lahore to meet his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on Friday, provincial president of the National Conference (NC) for Jammu Devender Singh Rana said the people of Jammu and Kashmir feel that the relationship between India and Pakistan should be normal, and only that could ensure peace in the region.
“The process of talks is going on, which is very happy thing, because we feel that the way forward is the talks,” he said.
“It’s a happy thing that NSA-level talks happened, then the foreign minister-level talks happened, and, if the Prime Minister of Indian now is meeting with his Pakistani counterpart, I’m sure it will break the thaw and move the process forward. Talks must go on, as only a meaningful and sustained dialogue can take us to a solution, which is acceptable to all the stakeholders,” said Rana.
On his way back to New Delhi from Moscow, Prime ministers Modi and Sharif met at the latter’s residence Raiwind Palace, the ancestral home of the Sharifs, in Lahore, where he also discussed Indo-Pak relations with him. “Beyond the noise, a personal connect. The Prime Ministers discuss #IndiaPakistan relations in Raiwind,” tweeted Vikas Swarup, Official Spokesperson, Ministry of External Affairs.
The relations between India and Pakistan have witnessed some positive developments in recent past. The two countries recently decided to launch a comprehensive dialogue after Prime Ministers Modi and Sharif met in Paris.
Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Modi visited Kabul, where both India and Afghanistan agreed to increase and expand training opportunities for Afghan National Security and Defence Forces in relevant Indian institutions, based on the requirements of Afghanistan.
Prime Minister Modi also reiterated India’s full support to Afghanistan for strengthening its defensive capabilities for preserving its unity and territorial integrity and ensuring security, and strongly supported Afghan government-led reconciliation process, which respects the red lines drawn by the people of Afghanistan and the international community. (ANI)