Nawaz Sharif mulling attending Narendra Modi`s swearing-in ceremony
Pakistan will announce the decision whether Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will participate in the swearing-in ceremony of India`s Narendra Modi.
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Decision made. PM to leave 26th morning for Delhi.— Nasim Zehra (@NasimZehra) May 22, 2014
Sources within Sharif`s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said that Prime Minister wanted to normalise ties with India to promote commercial and business activities.
"He is keen to improve ties which is also the official policy of the party but he needs to take various aspects of the relations into consideration," a top PMLN leader told a news agency. He said the invitation has come at a short notice and the Premier needs time to accept it.
He also said that any decision about going to India will be made by the evening after consultations with the civil and military leaders. Diplomatic sources said that unexpected move by India`s Prime Minister-designate has left Sharif with difficult choices.
"If he skipped the invitation it will send a very negative message to India and the world but the acceptance may bring backlash from the hardliners and hawks who consider Modi as anti-Pakistani," said a diplomat.
External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin on Thursday said in a series of tweets that India had received confirmation about participation of Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Maldives President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom at Modi`s swearing-in on May 26.
Akbaruddin said India had also received confirmation that Bhutan`s Prime Minister Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay and Nepalese Prime Minister Sushil Koirala will attend, while Bangladesh has informed that Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury will attend. He added Mauritius`s Ramgoolam had been invited to the swearing-in and had confirmed his participation.
Modi, who had surprised the world with his election victory, invited heads of government of all the SAARC countries for his oath-taking ceremony in a major diplomatic signal to the region as well as to the global community.
SAARC comprises, besides India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Maldives, Bhutan and Afghanistan.
Modi will take oath as India`s 14th Prime Minister at the ceremony that is expected to be attended by over 3,000 invited guests and will be telecast live. The swearing-in ceremony would be held in the open forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidential palace here.
(With Agency inputs)