[But Pakistani officials have
expressed optimism about the prospects for peace, noting that the last burst of
progress came in the late 1990s, when Mr. Sharif held power concurrently with
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the last prime minister from Mr. Modi’s party, Bharatiya
Janata.]
By Ellen Barry
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi of
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Mr. Sharif was one of seven
leaders invited to Mr. Modi’s swearing-in on Monday because Pakistan is a
member of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, but the
ceremony was overshadowed by his interactions with Mr. Modi, a Hindu
nationalist who has little track record in foreign policy and used hard-line
oratory on Pakistan during the parliamentary campaign.
But Pakistani officials have
expressed optimism about the prospects for peace, noting that the last burst of
progress came in the late 1990s, when Mr. Sharif held power concurrently with
Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the last prime minister from Mr. Modi’s party, Bharatiya
Janata.
“I intend taking up threads from
where Vajpayee and I left off in 1999,” Mr. Sharif told a reporter from NDTV.
Asked by a journalist what outcome he expected from his meeting with Mr. Modi,
Mr. Sharif recited an Urdu couplet that translates as, “cling to the tree and
hope, for spring is in sight.”
It was the first visit to Delhi
by a Pakistani leader since the Mumbai terror attacks of 2008, which dealt a
serious setback to the relationship between the two countries. Initially
scheduled to last for 35 minutes, the meeting went on for nearly an hour.
One possible concession from the
Pakistani side would be the extension of most-favored-nation status, which
would allow Indian goods access to its markets, though Mr. Sharif is likely
seeking a concession in return from Mr. Modi.
A major topic, Indian television
reported, was the trials of suspects in the Mumbai terror attacks of 2008,
which killed 163 people. India
has long complained about postponements and delays of the trial.
Both Mr. Modi and Mr. Sharif
risked displeasing hard-liners in their own countries by taking part, and Mr.
Sharif delayed for almost three days before accepting the invitation. In India ,
though, Mr. Modi’s landslide victory in parliamentary elections this month has
meant the criticism was muted.
One voice of dissent came from
the B.J.P.'s closest ally, the Shiv Sena, which has steadfastly opposed
high-level engagement with Pakistan .
But its leader, Uddhav Thackeray, attended Mr. Modi’s swearing-in on Monday and
issued a statement expressing support for the new leader.
“We trust the firm and decisive
leadership of Narendra Modi and do not wish to put obstacles in his way at the
very start of his term,” the statement said. He added, in a kind of warning,
“if, despite this gesture, Pakistan
doesn’t change, we expect Modi to take firm steps.”
Mr. Modi’s swift arrangement of a
regional summit — which in the past have been typically disrupted by waves of
controversy and dispute within India
–— has been hailed by many as a diplomatic coup, but further steps toward
dialogue may prove difficult.
Under the departing Congress-led
government, both Islamabad and New
Delhi took steps to establish a formal trade
relationship, but talks were derailed repeatedly over security issues, finally
coming to a halt after cross-border skirmishes in Kashmir
early last year, when an Indian soldier was beheaded.
In Pakistan ,
meanwhile, many remain wary of Mr. Modi, whose strong economic record has been
shadowed by controversy over religious riots that broke out in his home state
of Gujarat in 2002 when he was its chief minister. Mr.
Modi was widely blamed for failing to prevent the religious riots that raged
for days after a train car carrying Hindu pilgrims was set afire. More than
1,000 people died in the riots, most of them Muslims.
Mr. Sharif and Mr. Modi seemed to
interact cordially at Monday’s ceremony and the banquet that followed it.
Shortly after its end, Mr. Modi
wrote on Twitter that “in my conversation with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, he
shared some very emotional things.” The Pakistani premier, he continued, “told
me that he stays in Islamabad , but
goes to meet his mother once in a week. This time, when he was eating with his
mother, he saw visuals on TV of my mother offering me sweets.”
He wrote, “the visuals touched
both Nawaz Sharif ji and his mother. He told me that after seeing the visuals,
his mother got very emotional." The use of the term “ji” is a sign of
respect.
Suhasini Raj contributed
reporting from New Delhi .
