Cricket diplomacy underway: PM Narendra Modi calls on Nawaz Sharif to revive bilateral talks

NEW DELHI: Signaling a thaw in ties after a chill that’s lasted nearly seven months, Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on Friday to discuss issues of bilateral importance, taking advantage of cricket diplomacy as the World Cup gets under way.

India said it will soon send new foreign secretary S Jaishankar to Islamabad in what is being viewed as an effort to revive the stalled dialogue. Modi also telephoned his Bangladesh counterpart as well as the presidents of Afghanistan and Sri Lanka to convey his best wishes to their teams at the World Cup being played in Australia and New Zealand, indicating the importance with which India regards the members of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation or Saarc.

Jaishankar’s trip to Pakistan as part of a ‘ Saarc yatra’ will be closely followed since the two countries have not held a structured dialogue since the BJP-led government took charge last year. Officials hinted that his visit to Pakistan could restart the foreign secretary-level dialogue that was called off by India after High Commissioner Abdul Basit met separatist Hurriyat leaders in August last year.

The foreign secretary, who met Basit on Thursday, could travel to Islamabad either at the month-end or in early March. “It was a very cordial meeting where both of them discussed the status of India-Pakistan ties,” said officials of the Friday phone call between Modi and Sharif. ET was the first to report last week that India and Pakistan could re-launch their stalled dialogue.

Former foreign secretary Sujatha Singh had been scheduled to visit Islamabad for talks with her Pakistani counterpart in August as decided by Modi and Sharif when the latter had travelled to India in May for the Indian Prime Minister’s inauguration. During Friday’s phone conversation, Modi joked about Sharif playing in a World Cup warm-up match in 1987 alongside cricketer-turnedpolitician Imran Khan, sources said.


Sharif reportedly laughed and said, “Kaash woh din dubaara aata (I wish those days would return.)” The two leaders went on to discuss diplomacy. Modi informed Sharif about the plan to send Jaishankar on a tour of Saarc nations, including Pakistan. Sharif then discussed the possibility of resuming foreign secretary level talks, sources said.