Pakistan PM to attend Indian inauguration, a first Associated PressBy MUNIR AHMED | Associated Press – 32 minutes ago Print RELATED CONTENT Pakistans Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif waves to the crowd as he leaves after attending a flag raising ceremony to mark the countrys 67th Independence Day in Islamabad in this August 14, 2013 file photo. REUTERS/Mian Khursheed/FilesView Photo Pakistans Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif waves to the crowd as he leaves after … ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistans prime minister will attend the inauguration of Indias Prime Minister-designate Narendra Modi, a first for the nuclear-armed rivals, officials said Saturday. Pakistan and India have a history of uneasy relations and they have fought three wars over the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir since their independence from Britain in 1947. Saturdays decision by could signal a further easing of tensions. A Foreign Ministry statement said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will travel to New Delhi to attend the ceremony Monday. On Tuesday, Sharif will meet with Modi, it said. Sharifs special assistant on foreign affairs and Pakistans foreign secretary also will accompany him, the statement said. Sharif already congratulated Modi over his Bharatiya Janata Partys landslide victory in the elections that concluded last week. Sharifs office also confirmed the visit. No foreign leaders were invited to outgoing Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs inaugurations in 2004 and 2009. Relations between Pakistan and India froze after an attack on Mumbai in 2008 in which Pakistani terrorists killed 166 people. A mild thaw since has helped trade, though not much progress has been made in normalizing bilateral ties. During the election campaign, Modi took a tough stance on Pakistans role in sponsoring terror attacks in India. But since his victory, Modi has softened his stand somewhat. He has said that he would like to engage Indias neighbors and have friendly relations with them. Indian leaders welcomed Sharifs decision to attend the inauguration. This is the beginning of a new relationship. It is good news, said Prakash Javadekar, spokesman of Modis Bharatiya Janata Party. The top elected official in Indian Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, also said he hoped the visit would mark a new start for the countrys relations. It shows that he can prevail over forces inimical to good relations with India, Abdullah said. Around 3,000 people — political leaders and BJP supporters from across India— are expected to attend the inauguration ceremony Monday. Meanwhile Saturday, bomb attacks in Pakistan killed at least seven people. The deadliest attack happened when a roadside bomb exploded near the village of Shati in the Mohmand tribal region, killing six soldiers, the military said. In a statement, the military said terrorists planted the bomb, without elaborating. In the capital, Islamabad, a bomb exploded in a supermarket parking lot at about 2 a.m. Saturday, killing a guard and wounding a passer-by, police officer Chaudhry Abid said. A second bomb exploded outside another market about 5 kilometers (3 miles) away, breaking windows but wounding no one, police officer Mohammad Shafqat said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombings, though authorities have blamed the Pakistani Taliban for similar attacks across the country. The attacks come days after Pakistani warplanes pounded militant hideouts in the North Waziristan tribal region bordering Afghanistan, killing 60. The military said those killed were militants. Local residents said civilians also died. Pakistans government, led by Sharif, has been negotiating with the Taliban to end their violent insurgency, which has killed thousands. ___ Associated Press writer Nirmala George in New Delhi contributed to this report.
Posted on: Sat, 24 May 2014 10:14:35 +0000
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