NARENDRA MODI made a surprise stopover in Pakistan to meet his counterpart, Nawaz Sharif. It is the first time an Indian prime minister has visited the rival nation in more than a decade. Modi was on his way back to India after a visit to Russia and a stopover in the Afghanistan capital of Kabul earlier on Friday. The two leaders held a brief conversation at the climate change talks in Paris late last month, part of efforts to restart a peace dialogue plagued by attacks and long-standing distrust.The two countries have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947, two of them over Kashmir. A ceasefire agreed in 2003 remains in place, but the neighbours often accuse each other of violating it. Modi had called up the Pakistani PM from Kabul, informing Sharif of his planned stopover in Lahore.Relations between the two countries were at a low and Modi’s visit was seen as a strong step towards improving ties for mutual benefits. Earlier, opening the Parliament Building in Kabul, Modi pledged India’s support for the Afghan government and urged regional powers, including Pakistan, to work together to foster peace. India is also supplying three Russian-made MI-35 helicopters to Afghanistan’s small Air Force, adding the badly needed capacity to provide close air support to its hard-pressed security forces.Modi’s timing was exquisite: Sharif’s grand-daughter’s wedding and the Pakistan PM’s birthday was the day they met, incidentally also Christmas day. The atmosphere of a house of marriage is unlikely to be glacial – its more than likely that the chitchatted on simple issues like family and dinner instead of Jammu and Kashmir — and in that respect, established a personal equation which could be the basis for more structured talks in the future.However, this is at least partly speculation. The reality is that, at least in Pakistan, the national security establishment will not let Kashmir be put on the backburner. Similarly in India, the issues of Kashmir and terrorism must be put to the fore to satisfy the political establishment. Besides, antagonism between states is not allowed by mature leaders to sour diplomatic good personal relationship among leaders. This is called confident and foresighted leadership. Playing on easy sentiment is not leadership. There is not too much to be read into this cordial visit by Prime Minister Modi, but his visit will have some good effects.
