New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday said that he was personally touched by Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's gesture of welcoming him at the airport and also seeing him off.
"Am personally touched by Nawaz Sharif Sahab's gesture of welcoming me at Lahore airport and coming to the airport when I left," Modi said in a tweet after returning to New Delhi.
Modi also said that he had a spent a warm evening with the Sharif family at their family home.
"Nawaz Sahab's birthday & granddaughter's marriage made it a double celebration," he added.
Terming as "very touching" Sharif's affection towards BJP veteran and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he tweeted: "He (Sharif) recalled their interactions & asked me to convey his regards to Atalji."
Modi winds up surprise Pak visit, Pakistan hails goodwill gesture
The Indian Prime Minister on Friday evening arrived in Delhi after having pulled off a diplomatic coup with his announcement of a surprise visit to Pakistan on his way back home from Kabul.
The visit, his first touchdown in the country, to wish his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the occassion of his birthday, was also the first trip to Pakistan by an Indian premier in more than 10 years.
PM Narendra Modi arrived at the Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore at around 4.50 PM on Friday where he was given a red carpet welcome by Pakistan's PM Nawaz Sharif.
Also Read: US, UN welcome Modi-Sharif meeting in Lahore
Television feeds showed both leaders exchange pleasantries and hug each other in a sight that has been rarely seen in South Asia.
In an unprecedented move, Modi and Sharif together boarded a Pakistan Air Force chopper to proceed to the latter's Jati Umra Raiwind palatial residence, about 20 kilometres from Lahore. This was the first instance where leaders of the two countries were travelling together.
Sharif's ancestral house, where Sharif personally escorted him to, was also the venue for the wedding of Sharif's grand-daughter. PM Modi blessed the bride and is believed to have gifted her an Indian dress. He also gifted shawls to Pakistan's prime minister's wife Kulsoom Nawaz.
Both leaders also discussed Indo-Pak relations during Modi's short visit. The unscheduled visit came as a surprise to many in Pakistan, but his gesture was hailed by leaders both in India and Pakistan, who welcomed it officially. "It was a goodwill gesture by the Indian PM," said Pakistan Foreign Secreatry Aijaz Chaudhary. "During the meet, it was agreed to continue and enhance bilateral contacts and work together for good neighbourly relations.
"Both leaders also expressed the desire to carry forward dialogue process for larger good of the people of both nations."
Earlier, Modi was accorded a grand welcome at Sharif's ancestral home where he was warmly welcomed by Sharif's son Hasan and other family members.
The Prime Minister's favourite dish 'Saag' was among the vegetarian delicacies prepared for him during a lunch-cum-dinner at Jati Umrah residence of Sharif.
"All dishes, including Saag, daal and vegetable food, were cooked in desi ghee," a source in the Jati Umra told PTI. Kashmiri tea was also served to the Indian premier.
According to the source, Sharif's mother also entered the hall where both premiers were holding the meeting along with his other family members.
"Modi touched the feet of Sharif's mother," he said. Some 11 members of Modi's delegation accompanied him to the Jati Umerah who were issued a 72-hour visa.
Read Also: Hurriyat leaders welcome PM Modi's surprise visit to Lahore
The visit came more than two weeks after Modi and Sharif had an unscheduled meeting at climate change talks in Paris. The agenda of the meeting is not known but the two leaders are expected to discuss major issues which have rocked ties between the two countries.
“Welcome to Pakistan @narendramodi. Constant engagement is the only way to resolve all outstanding issues,” Opposition PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari tweeted.
Read Also: PM Modi has taken a “courageous” step, says Sudheendra Kulkarni
The 120-member delegation accompanying Modi traveled to Jati Umrah by road. Modi was attired in off white kurta, white pajama and red waistcoat, while Sharif was wearing light blue shalwar kameez and dark blue waistcoat.
Here are the highlights:
* Modi leaves for Delhi from Lahore
* Modi to leave for Delhi now. PM Modi and Pak PM Sharif spoke for about 80 minutes.
* Prime Minister Modi reaches Lahore airport. PM Sharif to see him off
* After blessing the bride, PM departs Raiwind accompanied by PM Sharif who will see him off, tweets spokesperson of MEA
* PM Narendra Modi has gifted an Indian dress to Nawaz Sharif's granddaughter: Pak Media
* PM Modi also reportedly gifted Indian shawls to the prime minister's wife Kulsoom Nawaz: Pak Media
* Nawaz Sharif and PM Modi leave from former's Lahore residence.
* PM Narendra Modi and PM Nawaz Sharif's meeting ends
* We think it was pre-arranged and not a spontaneous decision: Anand Sharma, Cong on PM Modi's Pakistan visit
* Modi and Sharif discuss India Pakistan relations in Lahore
Read Also: PM Modi has taken a “courageous” step, says Sudheendra Kulkarni
* I think its a very nice diplomatic step and an important move-Anupam Kher on Modi-Sharif visit
* Prime Ministers of both the countries will cut a 'birthday cake' on the occassion of Nawaz's birthday
* PM Narendra Modi & Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif at latter's residence in Lahore
* PM Modi reaches residence of Nawaz Sharif.
* In a first, both PMs flew together in chopper to Raiwind, home of PM Nawaz Sharif tweets Spokesperson of MEA
* Modi and his 120-men entourage head to Jati Umra where the Indian premier is expected to meet PM Nawaz's mother: Pak Media
* Modi will also attend an event for Nawaz's granddaughter's wedding: Pak Media
* PM Modi, Sharif board Pakistan Air Force chopper, to visit Sharif's house
* Nawaz Sharif extends warm welcome to PM Narendra Modi
* PM Narendra Modi received by PM Nawaz Sharif at Lahore airport
* PM Modi to be given Guard of Honour
* Pak PM Nawaz Sharif present at tarmac to receive PM Modi
* PM Modi's aircraft lands at Lahore airport
* PM Modi scheduled to land at Lahore airport at 4.15 pm Pakistan time: Pak media
Read Also: :Modi's Pak visit path-breaking departure from protocol-driven politics: BJP
* Nawaz Sharif asked all his cabinet colleagues present in Lahore to reach airport.
* India's High Commissioner to Pakistan TS Raghavan reaches Lahore Airport.
* PM Nawaz Sharif at Allama Iqbal International Airport , will receive PM Modi: Pakistan Media
* Will Dawood Ibrahim be handed over to India after today's visit by PM Modi?: Sanjay Raut,Shiv Sena
* EAM Sushma Swaraj calls meeting of BJP spokespersons and TV panellists
* PM Narendra Modi takes off from Kabul enroute to Lahore.
* Lahore Airport declared a 'No fly Zone' ahead of PM Modi's visit.
* PM Narendra Modi leaves for Kabul airport: ANI
* PM Modi may also visit Nawaz Sharif's home: Media reports
* Nawaz Sharif to receive PM Narendra Modi at Lahore airport
Read Also: Sushma Swaraj says PM Modi has acted like a ‘statesman'
The announcement came from Modi himself in a tweet as he prepared to wind up his brief visit to Afghanistan.
"Looking forward to meeting PM Nawaz Sharif in Lahore today afternoon, where I will drop by on my way back to Delhi," the PM tweeted.
Read Also: Congress questions PM Modi's Pakistan visit
Further, Modi also wished PM Nawaz on his birthday. “Spoke to PM Nawaz Sharif & wished him on his birthday,” the Indian PM said in another Twitter message.
According to speculations going on in Pakistan media, when PM Modi called Sharif on phone to wish him on his birthday, the Pakistani Prime Minister requested him to drop by in Lahore while returning from Kabul. Prime Minister Modi then accepted his request and announced on twitter his plan to visit Lahore.
Earlier this morning, Modi had extended birthday greetings to his Pakistani counterpart on twitter.
"I wish the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Nawaz Sharif on his birthday and pray that he remains in wonderful health," Modi tweeted.
External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, tweeted: "That's like a statesman. Padosi se aise hi rishte hone chahiyen."
Sharif was born on December 25, 1949.
This will also be the Indian Prime Minister's first visit to Pakistan after he stormed to power in May last year.
Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari has termed Modi's decision to drop by drop to greet Sharif as ‘adventurism'.
Calling PM's decision unfortunate, Tewari asked the Prime Minister to explain ‘if anything has changed ground after Pakistan refused to abide by its commitment given in Ufa'.
“If the decision is not preposterous then it is utterly ridiculous,” Tewari said.
