PAKISTAN Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has changed the BJP leader’s image in Pakistan and there are now positive vibes about him across the border, former Pakistani foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar said on Monday.
“ Modi’s image has changed in Pakistan, he is looked upon as somebody who wants peace and we can do business with.
It requires leadership to take India- Pakistan relations forward and he has shown that,” Khar said in an interview with Karan Thapar of H EADLINES T ODAY . “ I hope Mr Modi will take the calls required to change the destiny of 1.5 billion people and not ( give in to) domestic pressures. He has created space for all those who wanted peace in region,” she said.
“( Former Prime Minister) Dr Manmohan Singh genuinely wanted peace, but could never show the leadership required,” she said.
After meeting Modi, Sharif drew a lot of flak in the Pakistani media because he did not raise the Kashmir issue even though the issue of terrorism came up during the 45- minute talks between the two leaders on May 27. Sharif was among eight regional leaders invited to Modi’s swearing- in.
Khar, who is a leader of Pakistan’s main opposition party, said, “ My party, the Pakistan People’s Party, had urged Nawaz Sharif to accept the invite ( from Modi) long before he decided to do so. This is a great opportunity, for the first time we have a right of centre government in both countries and an opportunity that will create an enabling environment to achieve peace in the region.” She also said she had personally supported Sharif ’ s visit to India. “ We enabled Nawaz Sharif to come to India to have talks. We found it as a good opportunity and we grabbed it,” she said, adding: “ Sharif didn’t manage it well, he should have held a joint press conference with Mr Modi. The impression that got created after your foreign secretary’s briefing was that he was given a talking to by Mr Modi, and that he did not raise the Kashmir issue, which is not correct,” she said.
Asked about the delay in the trial of Pakistani nationals charged with involvement in the Mumbai attacks, Khar said the Pakistani judicial system is similar to the one in India. “ There is a broad consensus in Pakistan on improving ties with India. It is in Pakistan’s interests to bring to book those dealing in terror, especially those involved in Mumbai, but the judicial process has to be gone through,” she said.As reported in mailtoday