CPM: Move beyond VIP diplomacy

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Saturday said that Indo-Pak relations should move beyond “VIP diplomacy” of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, and must be carried forward to “people to people contact”.

“And it should not be treated only as VIP diplomacy. What is happening right now is VIP diplomacy. We cannot have Ghulam Ali singing in India... This VIP level diplomacy should not end here and it should be carried forward to people to people contact.”

This VIP level diplomacy should not end here and it should be carried forward to people to people contact,”

What is happening right now is VIP diplomacy. We cannot have Ghulam Ali singing in India. We cannot have Pakistani cricket team playing in India. We cannot have our families which have been separated by partition meet each other. This VIP level diplomacy should not end here and it should be carried forward to people to people contact,” the CPI(M) general secretary said.

On Friday, the party had welcomed Mr Modi’s surprise visit to Lahore and called for “consistent and regular” dialogue with Pakistan for lasting peace between the two neighbours.

“As far as relations with Pakistan is concerned, the CPI(M) has always maintained that the talks should go on. There are two aspects, initially the secretary level talks was disrupted by us as it was said that we will discuss only terrorism and no other issue. Now it has been agreed that to talk on everything including Jammu and Kashmir. So this suddenly dropping by to Pakistan is good. But the talks should sustain,” Mr Yechury added.

The comments from Mr Yechury came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise visit to Lahore, his first visit to the country, to meet Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.