Modi's Pak visit is beginning of a new era: J&K BJP

State BJP today welcomed the surprise visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Pakistan saying his recent visits shows his sincere commitment to bring peace in the Indian sub-continent and the world.
"We welcome the surprise visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Pakistan. Modi stopping over at Lahore and visiting the ancestral home of Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is the beginning of new era of friendship between India and Pakistan," BJP spokesman Khalid Jehangir said today.
He said Modi's daring visit to Pakistan has left the opposition parties dumbfounded.
Congress and other parties are trying to pick up holes and cribbing that opposition should have been taken into confidence, he said, adding Modi is a bold and powerful minister, he doesn't need anyone's advice or permission to visit any country, including Pakistan.

Jehangir said the Prime Minister's visit to Pakistan is a sincere attempt on his part to develop cordial relationship with the neighbouring country.
"We hope Pakistan will reciprocate the Prime Minister's gesture so that both the countries write a new chapter in the history of Indo-Pak relations," Jehangir added.

The BJP spokesman said Modi's Pakistan visit should serve as an eye opener for the separatists and they should realise that India and Pakistan have decided to march ahead.
"Time has come for the people, who preach secessionism and violence, to wind up their shops and let people of Kashmir live peacefully," Jehangir said.

In Jammu, another party spokesperson, Professor Virender Gupta said the bilateral agreements with the US, Australia, Japan and the UK and the PM's visit to Russia were historic.
Russia has been a strong reliable friend of India and both countries have a strategic relationship and the present visit was aimed to strengthen the ties between the two countries.
Gupta welcomed the signing of 16 major deals in defense, nuclear energy and in hydrocarbon sectors between India and Russia, saying on the economic front, both the countries aimed to enhance the current bilateral annual trade of USD10 billion to USD30 billion in the next 10 years.

"The visit of Prime Minister to Afghanistan was very important keeping in view India's strategic interests. In Afghanistan Prime Minister, Modi along with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani inaugurated the new Parliament building that has been constructed with India's support of USD 90 million with its one block named after Atal Bihari Vajpayee," he said.
Gupta said India was giving Mi-25 helicopters to Afghanistan and agreed to expand training opportunities for Afghan security and defense forces, and Prime Minister assured of all possible help in the development of infrastructure.
He hailed the PM for his surprise and unscheduled to Pakistan to convey his greetings on the 66th birthday of Nawaz Sharif saying it gave a new dimension to the diplomatic relations between India and Pakistan.

The recent visits of Prime Minister Modi shows his sincere commitment of bringing peace in the Indian sub-continent and the world, he added.