WC MAKES A PITCH FOR INDIA-PAK TALKS

Vineeta Pandey

14 February 2015 

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Cricket diplomacy is back again. The game that has often helped thaw relations between India and Pakistan has once again come to ease tension between the two that went cold after a warm start last year. On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi used cricket World Cup as an opportunity to connect with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif. Modi called up Sharif to convey his best wishes for the Pakistani cricket team participating in the World Cup. India and Pakistan play their inaugural match against each other on February 15. The PM also announced that new Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar will visit Islamabad and other SAARC countries as part of his SAARC Yatra to push bilateral agenda.

“Spoke to President Ashraf Ghani, PM Sheikh Hasina, PM Nawaz Sharif and President Sirisena. Conveyed my best wishes for the Cricket World Cup,” Modi tweeted. Noting that five SAARC nations are playing and are excited about the World Cup, the Prime Minister said, “I am sure the WC will celebrate sportsman spirit and will be a treat for sports lovers. Cricket connects people in our region and promotes goodwill. Hope players from SAARC region play with passion and bring laurels to the region… would be sending our new Foreign Secretary on a SAARC Yatra soon to further strengthen our ties.”

As they talked, Modi and Sharif also laughed together when Modi joked about Sharif playing a warm-up World Cup match in 1987 alongside Imran Khan, sources said. To this, it is learnt, Sharif replied, “Kash vo din dubaara aata (I wish those days would come back).” Jokes apart, the two leaders used the opportunity to strike some diplomatic conversation and Modi informed Sharif about Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar’s upcoming tour to SAARC countries to push issues of bilateral interest.

The Ministry of External Affairs said Jaishankar’s tour that includes Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan apart from Pakistan, will be largely focused on agenda outlined by Modi at the SAARC Summit last year. These included a SAARC satellite, South Asian University and simplified medical visas. But it is expected the tour to Islamabad will help make a fresh start in the Foreign Secretary-level talks that got paused last year after Pakistan High Commissioner held consultations with Kashmiri separatists, irking India.

MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said Modi has used cricket as a metaphor for connectivity and added that the PM practices “multi-layer diplomacy” including at the level of the leaders and people-to-people. Pakistan Prime Minister’s spokesperson in Islamabad said Sharif welcomed the Indian Foreign Secretary’s proposed visit to discuss all issues of common interest. On Thursday Pakistan High Commissioner Abdul Basit had made a courtesy call on Jaishankar in the latter’s South Block office where both discussed status of Indo-Pak ties.

“No one misuses an opportunity available. Sure, we have a bilateral agenda with all the SAARC countries and we will pursue that bilateral agenda too within the constraints of short visit to each of these countries. Every leader and diplomat uses every opportunity to push its bilateral agenda,” said Akbaruddin when asked about structure of FS’s visit to Pakistan. Date for the FS visit is yet to be announced.

However, India chose to remain silent on Sharif’s recent remarks to US President Barack Obama that India’s permanent membership in the reformed UN Security Council was unacceptable to Pakistan as it has not complied with UN resolutions on Kashmir. Akbaruddin said every country was entitled to their views.