Modi, Sharif warm up to each other after cold vibes

The frosty Indo-Pak ties briefly gave way to some warmth when a smiling Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on Thursday shook hands and exchanged pleasantries, but India cautioned against reading too much into such "courtesies".

Moments before the 18th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation summit concluded after two days of deliberations in Kathmandu, Modi and Sharif shook hands and exchanged a few sentences to loud applause of other leaders and their delegations which were witness to the cold vibes between the two prime ministers at the opening session on Wednesday when they ignored each other.

"Let's not read too many things into courtesies that are being extended," Indian External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said on the brief interaction between Modi and Sharif.

"Baat bhi hui mulaqaat bhi hui (they met and also talked)," the Spokesperson said, but categorically denied that there was any "one-on-one" contact between Modi and Sharif.

Noting that India had already made it clear that there were no "substantive and structured" discussions between the two prime ministers, Akbaruddin said, "This is what exactly happened" and reiterated India's position for "cooperative, peaceful" relations with Pakistan.

During their brief interaction towards the end of the summit, Modi put his hand on Sharif's arm as the two leaders looked at cameras with a long handshake even as they exchanged a few sentences.

The brief Modi-Sharif bonhomie was summed up by a tweet by Akbaruddin, "the photo all were waiting for".

This was the second time during the day that the two leaders had shaken hands and exchanged pleasantries, the first occasion being the retreat in Dhulikhel, a picturesque tourist resort, about 30 km from Kathmandu, where the SAARC leaders held deliberations in an informal setting.

At the concluding session, Modi also clapped before and after Sharif's vote of thanks as the host for the next SAARC summit in Islamabad.

As in the past SAARC summits, the chemistry between Indian and Pakistani leaders grabbed much attention at this conclave of the eight South Asian nations.

Meanwhile, in a face saver, SAARC countries signed a framework agreement on cooperation in the power sector but failed to finalise the much-awaited motor vehicle and railway pacts for greater people-to-people contact and movement of goods due to opposition from Pakistan.

There were hectic efforts to pursue the Pakistani side, which stalled the inking of the pacts on the pretext that internal processes were not completed following which three months' time was set for getting approval.

As Modi and Sharif interacted, the relief on the faces of the host Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, other leaders and delegates was palpable as they all clapped when the two leaders vigorously shook hands.

That also marked a positive point for the summit which achieved little else.

Asked if today's development will lead to resumption of talks, Akbaruddin said, "We are interested in meaningful dialogue and if this interaction or this handshake leads to that, we will welcome that. However, the emphasis is on meaning dialogue."

On whether Pakistan has made any gesture which can lead to meaningful dialogue or India wants something else, the Spokesperson said the interlocutors understand what India means when India uses certain terms.

Asked whether Sharif expressed unhappiness over not being able to talk to his Indian counterpart, Akbaruddin said he was not aware of it.

"As you have seen after the retreat, first of all in the retreat, the atmosphere was very convivial. All the leaders were extremely comfortable with each other. They spent a lot of time together and when the prime minister of India and prime minister of Pakistan first came across each other they did exchange greetings and pleasant courtesies," he said.

"After that there was an open display of both the prime minister of India and prime minister of Pakistan shaking hands in public," the spokesperson said, indicating that there was no substantive bilateral interaction.

He also said the SAARC was not about India and Pakistan; it was about the region and strengthening the cooperation there.

The lack of warmth that was witnessed on Wednesday between the two prime ministers is reflective of the sudden downslide in Indo-Pak ties after Sharif had attended Modi's swearing-in ceremony as did most of the SAARC leaders in May this year.

Consultations held by Pakistan High Commissioner in New Delhi with Kashmiri separatists led to the cancellation by India of Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh's visit to Islamabad in September. Since then both countries have maintained that they are willing to engage in a meaningful dialogue provided the other side takes the initiative.

Ahead of SAARC, Pakistan did not help matters with Sharif insisting that he would consult Kashmiri leaders again before any dialogue with India and maintained that the "ball is in India's court" since it had unilaterally cancelled the talks.

Modi had structured bilateral meetings with all SAARC heads of governments and states except Sharif on the sidelines of the summit.

Photographs: MEA/Flickr