Pakistan is said to be preparing for PM Manmohan Singh’s visit to Nankana Sahib, Guru Nanak’s birthplace, on his birthday on November 28, Indian media quoting British think tank’s reported on Monday.
Pakistani government officials shared this information with a leading international affairs think tank in London.
The indication tallies with Pakistan foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar’s statement that she is expecting the Indian PM’s visit before the end of this year.
Pakistan’s president Asif Ali Zardari and the PPP are said to be keen on having Singh over this year itself as the country faces a general election early in 2013. Sources said Zardari is also pushing for Singh’s presence in Pakistan as there is virtually an all-party consensus for better relations with India.
However, when the think tank contacted the Government of India to verify the Pakistani claim, New Delhi did not corroborate it. India remains firm that Pakistan needs to demonstrate purpose in prosecuting Pakistan-based masterminds of the terrorist attack on Mumbai in November 2008.
The think tank’s general assessment is that India does not share the exuberance emanating from Pakistan about a “sea change in the atmospherics” between the two countries.
“Pakistan inevitably reaches out to India when it’s in trouble and then backtracks ,” said an analyst. Clearly, the Pakistani government is facing multiple challenges from near financial bankruptcy to terrorist threats from within, not to mention tense ties with Afghanistan and a near collapse in its ties with an ageold big brother ally, the US.
“India would probably be wary of its PM being enticed into a visit to Nankana Sahib ,” said another analyst. His argument was Pakistan may be attempting to project an image of being tolerant towards minorities, when the truth has increasingly been just the opposite.
The case of a 14-year-old Christian girl with learning difficulties, accused of blasphemy and imprisoned for three weeks is ample testimony to the latter.
This would be a welcome move. We need better relations with Pakistan and there is no better occasion than the India PM visiting on Guru Nanak's birthday on Nov 28.
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