Dear Editor,
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sudden visit to Lahore is sure to raise some eyebrows. Given the steady and raised levels of confrontation the BJP has maintained vis-à-vis Pakistan for long, when it was in the Opposition and now when it is in power, any dialogue with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is bound to be dicey. Critics inside and outside the BJP will consider this meet as a cavalier attempt at repairing bilateral relations and will relate its success to immediate outcomes. In all fairness, the meet must be seen in a larger perspective.
That said, given the security factors that have to be taken into consideration for a visiting Prime Minister, it is possible that the Modi-Sharif meeting was scheduled before hand.
Additionally, Pakistan has to take greater initiative in addressing India’s specific and pressing concerns regarding terrorism.
R Narayanan
Via-e-mail