Sharif 'not too happy' with India visit: Report

Sharif reportedly felt belittled when there was no joint press conference with Modi, after their meeting

Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif is "not too happy" with the way India handled his visit to New Delhi to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister, a media report claimed today quoting an unnamed leader of the ruling PML-N party.

A senior PML-N member told Dawn News that Sharif felt belittled when there was no joint press conference after the one-on-one meeting between the two Prime Ministers.

Short of that, Prime Minister Sharif's delegation was expecting a joint communique, but none was issued and instead New Delhi unilaterally released a press statement which did not carry Islamabad's stance, the report said.

"Sharif is not too happy at his reception in India during his visit there to attend the oath-taking ceremony of Narendra Modi," the report said citing his party colleague.

India's statement had only a passing reference to Sharif and did not appropriately acknowledge the importance of his presence, the PML-N member reportedly said.

The "abrupt and inadequate" press release by New Delhi, he claimed, forced Sharif to hold a press conference of his own - where he read out a carefully-worded statement so that "whatever was achieved by the visit might not go waste".

The PML-N member said the Pakistan government was now pinning its hopes on secretary-level talks -- agreed upon by Pakistan and India during Sharif's visit -- for some breakthrough in improving relations with India.