ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on
Saturday accepted India's invitation to attend the oath-taking ceremony
of the neighbouring country's prime minister-elect Narendra Modi, a
spokesman for the Prime Minister House said.
The decision was made after a series of consultations that the premier held with his close aides.
Advisor
to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj
Aziz told Dawn that he had a series of meetings yesterday and day before
with the premier in which the issue was discussed.
Moreover,
Foreign Office spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam said details of the visit were
being worked out with the Indian authorities, including the composition
of the prime minister’s delegation.
She said it was most likely that Aziz would accompany Prime Minister Sharif to New Delhi.
Sharif
is among the leaders of member states of the South Asian Association
for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) invited by Modi. It is the first time
in Indian history that leaders from neighbouring countries have been
invited to the swearing-in ceremony of a prime minister.
Analysts
had asserted that a slightly delayed response was due to the fact that
Pakistan would be keen to insert a meaningful agenda during the usually
accommodated bilateral talks even if the occasion has a multi-lateral
flavour.
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