IANS/Kathmandu
In a final ice-breaking moment that gave a huge boost to Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation) and floundering regional co-operation, Prime Minister Narendra Modi shook hands with his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif, laughed and even patted him on the arm at the closing ceremony of the bloc’s 18th summit here yesterday, to resounding applause from a relieved audience comprising leaders, diplomats and officials from the eight South Asian countries.
In a photo-op that appeared to belie the recent animosity between the two neighbours, Modi and Sharif kept their handshake for several seconds and chatted, smiling all the while, as Nepal Prime Minister Sushil Koirala, the host of the summit, looked on happily.
Modi and Sharif had interacted briefly during the retreat at Dhulikhel outside Kathmandu earlier in the day.
The two had otherwise studiously ignored each other during the summit on Wednesday, the sixth anniversary of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that India has blamed on Pakistani elements.
“India is for peaceful and co-operative relations with Pakistan. If this handshake leads to that we will welcome it. However, emphasis is on meaningful dialogue,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin later told reporters.
Akbaruddin said he was unaware of what Modi and Sharif spoke about during the Dhulikhel retreat as “there was no one else. Nobody else knows what they talked of. They spoke of Saarc matters, but what specifically they discussed, no one is privy”.
During the concluding ceremony, as soon as Koirala declared the session closed, Modi turned to his right, Bhutan Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay, and shook hands and chatted.
He then spoke with Maldives President Abdulla Yameen, and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, and was later joined by Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse.
Sharif was away from the group, talking to a Nepali minister, while Koirala was looking awkwardly on, standing in the midst of the two rival prime ministers.
Just when the question was on everyone’s mind, Modi finished chatting with his group of Saarc leaders, turned around and spoke to the Nepali prime minister, and stepped ahead to shake hands with Sharif.
Modi and Sharif smiled warmly at each other and kept their hands clasped while they chatted like old friends.
As the audience erupted into a loud applause, Modi cracked what appeared to be a joke, laughed and slapped Sharif gently on his arm.
The Himalayan Times was prompt in putting up the news on its website.
Titled ‘Smiling Modi, Sharif shake hands at Summit closure’, it wrote: “At the closing ceremony of the 18th Saarc summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif shook hands with smiling faces. The heads of governments of two historic rivals posed for photographs during the handshake for nearly a minute. The duo were seen talking to each other,” it said. Pages 14,16.
