ISLAMABAD: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday congratulated Shehbaz Sharif on taking over as prime minister, but his brief post on X apparently carried a “silent” message for Pakistan.
Modi, who is nearing his second term as Prime Minister, had earlier felicitated Imran Khan and Shehbaz Sharif in August 2018 and April 2022 respectively.
In fact, he spoke to the then Prime Minister Imran when he was elected the country’s chief executive. In May 2014, he also invited Nawaz Sharif to attend his swearing-in ceremony along with other South Asian leaders.
But this time, what was different was that Modi’s statement was not only brief but he did not mention any desire to normalize relations or seek peace with Pakistan.
“Congratulations @CMShehbaz on being sworn in as Prime Minister of Pakistan,” he wrote on X.
“In diplomacy, what you say is important, but what you don’t say is even more important,” the source said. There was no mention of the desire to seek peace or terrorism in his statement.
When Shehbaz replaced Imran as Prime Minister in April 2022, the Indian Prime Minister’s message was more explicit and warm. “I congratulate H. E. Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on his election as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. India wishes for peace and stability in the region without terror so that we can focus on our development challenges and ensure the well-being and prosperity of our region,” he said in a congratulatory message to the Pakistani prime minister at the time.
Observers believe Modi’s terse statement is a tacit message to Pakistan about the nature of the relationship his country wants with its neighbour.
Analysts and former diplomats believe that Modi’s message reflects current Indian policy towards Pakistan.
“Indian elections are around the corner. Modi would not like to suggest any flexibility in India’s position towards Pakistan to the Indian people at this time,” noted Abdul Basit, former Pakistani High Commissioner in Delhi.
