)
The government of Pakistan is yet to say whether Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will attend PM-designate Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony on Monday.
On Wednesday, all heads of government of the eight-nation South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation were invited. A separate invitation was also sent to Mauritius.
While the attendance of all other leaders has been confirmed, suspense remained on Pakistan.
“No decision has been taken as yet. PM (Sharif) is in Lahore. We have forwarded the invitation to his office. He might take a call by Friday morning,” Tasnim Aslam Khan, spokesperson of the Pak ministry of foreign affairs, told Business Standard.
However, sources indicated, Sharif will attend, as all Saarc nations have been invited.
Siddique-ul-Farooq, spokesman for his Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz said Sharif was most likely to “reciprocate the goodwill gesture extended by the new government” in India.
Sources did not also rule out the fact that an important representative of his government might attend the ceremony on Sharif’s behalf. Some said it could be his brother, Shahbaz Sharif, who is also chief minister of the province of Punjab.
There were also reports that the Pak president, Mamnoon Hussain, might attend -- he would like to visit his birthplace, Agra.
However, if does come, it will be a historical visit, as no Pm of Pakistan has attended the swearing-in ceremony of an Indian PM.
Sharif was one of the first to congratulate Modi after the latter's Lok Sabha poll win, and urged him to both visit Pakistan and resume the peace process dialogue, including a resolution of the Kashmir issue.
Attending the ceremony are President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajpaksa, Bangladesh parliament Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Nepal PM Sushil Koirala, Maldives' President Abdulla Yameen and Mauritius PM Navinchandra Ramgoolam.
Also, foreign secretary Sujatha Singh has instructed Indian missions abroad that if any government expresses willingness to attend the swearing-in ceremony, it should be immediately communicated to the ministry of external affairs, which will try to accommodate their request, said sources.
According to a senior BJP leader, by inviting the SAARC leaders Modi wanted to send out signals that South Asia and its integration will be his main focus. While the SAARC grouping was formed in 1980, the formation continues to be loosely integrated on several geopolitical and socio-economic issues.
