India welcomes Modi's surprise Lahore visit

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke with diplomatic protocol to pay a surprise visit to Pakistan leader Nawaz Sharif, betting his personal brand on his ability to reset troubled relations, Indian media and analysts said yesterday.

Spurning official talks in the capital Islamabad, India's leader chose instead to make an intimate trip to Sharif's ancestral residence near Lahore Friday, where he was celebrating his birthday and the wedding of his granddaughter.

A source present in the meeting said the leaders of the nuclear-armed arch-rival nations "chatted like old friends" as they ate vegetarian food, with the Indian premier telling Sharif, "Your sincerity is beyond doubt".

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since gaining independence from Britain in 1947 and a lasting peace deal has so far proved elusive, with deadly violence still flaring in disputed Kashmir.

Modi's stunning decision to drop in for talks with Pakistan's leader -- something ex-premier Manmohan Singh failed to achieve in ten years of power -- was roundly welcomed in India, where it was seen as a calculated personal gamble.

"Modi has made clear he is willing to risk political capital to make peace," the Indian Express newspaper said, warning that any future terrorist attacks traced to Pakistan would invite "savage criticism".

The visit, announced by Modi on Twitter, gave the appearance of being spontaneous, with Sharif's foreign affairs adviser not able to reach Lahore in time.

While Indian media suggested Modi was the driving force behind the visit, a Pakistan official said it was Islamabad's idea to arrange a meeting ahead of formal diplomatic talks set for January.

"The goal behind this meeting was to humanise the other side by arranging a visit involving close family members," said the official, adding that some of Sharif's cabinet had opposed the visit.

Television polls suggested most Indians welcomed the development while newspapers praised Modi's decision to avoid weighty expectations by staging an informal "stopover" on the way back from Kabul.

Yet members of the opposition Congress party denounced the "unpredictable" act, calling it un-statesmanlike, with some complaining such an important meeting should not have been announced on Twitter.

In Pakistan, major political parties yesterday welcomed Modi's visit to Lahore, saying it was a “new beginning of relations” and will help improve ties between the two countries.

Opposition leader in the parliament Syed Khurshid Shah said his Pakistan People's Party (PPP) supports Modi's visit.

PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had tweeted “Welcome to Pakistan @narendramodi. Constant engagement is the only way to resolve all outstanding issues.”

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party chief Imran Khan also welcomed Modi's trip and said it will help improve ties between the two countries.

Despite broad welcome, there were isolated voices opposing Modi's trip.

Sirajul Haq, chief of right wing Jamaat-i-Islami, said it was unfortunate that Modi was welcomed in Pakistan.

There were signs Pakistan's powerful army was not happy about the visit, with criticism on pro-army Twitter accounts believed to be run by the military.

Modi and Sharif have had a stop-start diplomatic relationship since the Indian premier's surprise decision to invite Sharif to his inauguration in May 2014.

A brief meeting on November 30 between the two leaders on the sidelines of the UN climate summit in Paris, followed by talks between their national security advisers in Bangkok, appeared to have broken the ice.

The last visit to Pakistan by an Indian prime minister was in 2004 by then leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is credited with bringing about a thaw in relations with Islamabad.