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India, Pakistan breaking ice in ties: Analyst

Saturday, 26 December 2015 5:35 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 26 December 2015 5:34 AM ]

In this photograph released on December 25, 2015, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif meet in Lahore, Pakistan. (Photo by AFP)

Press TV has conducted an interview with Sultan M. Hali, a journalist and retired officer in the Pakistani Air Force, and Uday Bhaskar, an Indian expert on security and strategic affairs, to discuss the relations between India and Pakistan.

Hali says India and Pakistan had been on the verge of animosity and hostility, but both sides tried to revive dialog, and have been successful in breaking the ice.

According to Hali, when the Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was greeted warmly in Islamabad last month, she commented, “We are aiming for a relationship when the leadership of both countries will be able to visit each other unannounced.”

The Friday surprise visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Pakistan was announced a few hours before his presence in Islamabad, he says, adding that the Indian prime minister’s Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said the Indian and Pakistani prime ministers held a “very positive” meeting.

The journalist also says the unannounced visit can pave the way for future meetings between Indian and Pakistani officials to tackle some remaining issues in order to improve bilateral relations between the two neighboring countries.

Bhaskar, for his part, believes Indian people have welcomed their prime minister’s visit to Pakistan, describing the trip as “positive.” However, he says, the Indian side is concerned about the motives of Pakistan in dealing with terror groups, who have carried out terrorist attacks in India.

He says New Delhi is also worried about the rise of Salafi Wahhabism in Pakistan, which is connected to Saudi Arabia.

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