Indian steel magnate Sajjan Jindal called on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for some “personal business favours” and not for any backchannel dialogue, a source privy to the details of the meeting has claimed.
While talking to Pakistan Today, the source said that Jindal was taking advantage of his personal chemistry with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his business interests.
The source said that Jindal along with his two fellow businessmen, Suket Singhal and Virender Babar Singh, had sought favour from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for transit shipment of his iron ore to be shipped through Pakistan into India.
“Sajjan Jindal has a lease agreement in Afghanistan for iron ore amounting to US$ 1.5 billion which is expiring now. Since Jindal ships iron ore from Afghanistan into India for his steel business, he needed the PM’s approval for transit facility from Pakistan. This was the reason he directly flew from Kabul to Pakistan,” the source added.
The source said that Jindal has been using his personal relations with PM Sharif and PM Modi for furthering his business endeavours.