New Delhi, July 14
India has dismissed as
"petty, to the point of being ludicrous", the criticism over Pakistani
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif walking up to Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi in the meeting room in Ufa, Russia, on July 10.
According
to sources, India had asked Pakistan to arrange for the meeting between
the two prime ministers, and it was natural for Modi to be standing to
receive Sharif that day.
"Who walked how many steps... the
criticism is silly. If Nawaz Sharif had asked for the meeting our prime
minister would have walked up to him," said sources.
The
criticism in Pakistan over the steps that Sharif walked "is petty, to
the point of being ludicrous", the sources said, adding that "no message
was intended" in the manner of the reception.
"To make it the subject of analysis, tells of the state of affairs there," the source added.
Pakistani
Senator Rehman Malik in a press statement had criticised the Ufa
meeting, saying that it "clearly demonstrates how disrespectful Mr Modi
was towards Sharif".
According to reports in the Pakistani
press, the former interior minister compared Modi to 'the Tsar of
Russia' and "rude and undiplomatic" as he described how the two leaders
interacted.
"(Our prime minister) was made to walk through a
long corridor towards Modi's chair/throne. (Modi) didn't show the
slightest courtesy under diplomatic norms for his Pakistani counterpart
to walk a few steps forward to receive him."
According to the
sources, Sharif's attitude during the talks was "very comfortable" and
he "lightened the atmosphere" in the beginning with some jokes. "That is
how it went".
Before they started talks on bilateral issues,
both leaders discussed their respective tours, with Modi commenting that
the European Union, African Union and Central Asia were ahead of South
Asia in terms of connectivity and the interactions between the members.
While
Modi had reached Ufa after visiting Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, and
attending the BRICS summit, Sharif had come from Oslo where he met
Pakistani-born Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousufzai in Oslo,
Norway.
"There was a fair amount of initial talk on these issues"
after which the talk focused on direct discussions on bilateral issues,
the sources added.
It was Prime Minister Modi's idea to have a joint statement to be read out to the waiting media, the source added.
The
source also said that the National Security Advisors of India and
Pakistan would meet "specifically" to discuss terror, as laid down by
the joint statement.
The sources also said that "all the
outstanding issues", as mentioned in the joint statement, was not to be
confused with the mandate of the two NSAs -- Ajit Doval and Sartaj Aziz
-- which was "specifically to discuss terrorism".
The Director
General of the Border Security Force and the Director General of
Pakistan Rangers meeting and that of the Directors General of Military
Operations of both countries meeting to thrash out border issues was
Modi's idea.
Even the point about both sides releasing fishermen
and boats in each other's custody in 15 days was Modi's idea, while the
idea to promote religious tourism was Sharif's idea, to which Modi
agreed.
There was a "fair amount" of discussion on 26/11
mastermind Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi's case and the need to progress on the
trial, and Sharif, being a politician, was able to understand the public
sentiment in India.
The words of the joint statement were "chosen very carefully".
The
joint statement said both sides agreed to discuss the ways and means to
expedite the Mumbai case trial, including additional information like
providing voice samples.
The meeting was "to discuss discussions, of where to go", the source said.
The source said the NSA element was clear about the context of discussion - terrorism - and where - in New Delhi.
The
meeting of the DG BSF and DGMOs was on border issues, while the issue
of fishermen and tourism were initiatives. But regarding the Mumbai
attack trial, the format and when and where has to be decided.
