Happy to learn that there were NO terrorists attacks nor any untoward fatalities and casualties between Xmas eve and Boxing Day! Hoohaa!
"A hug and high tea: Indian PM makes surprise visit to Pakistan - The Straits Times 26 Dec 2015
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI (REUTERS) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise stopover in Pakistan on Friday (Dec 25) to meet his counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, the first time an Indian premier has visited the rival nation in over a decade.
The visit, requested by Modi just hours earlier before he flew back home from Afghanistan, raised hopes that stop-and-start negotiations between the nuclear-armed neighbours might finally make progress after three wars and more than 65 years of hostility.
Sharif hugged Modi after he landed at the airport in the eastern city of Lahore and the two left by helicopter for Sharif’s nearby family estate.
Modi phoned Sharif earlier in the day to wish him on his birthday and asked if he could make a stop in Pakistan on his way home, Pakistan’s top diplomat, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry, told reporters. “And the PM said to him, ‘Please come, you are our guest, please come and have tea with me’,” he said.
It was Sharif’s 66th birthday and the family home was festooned with lights for his grand-daughter’s wedding on Saturday (Dec 26). Modi and Sharif talked for about 90 minutes and shared an early evening meal before the Indian leader flew back home.
“Among the decisions taken was that ties between the two countries would be strengthened and also people-to-people contact would be strengthened so that the atmosphere can be created in which the peace process can move forward,” Chaudhry said.
The next step will be for the two countries’ foreign secretaries to meet in the middle of next month, he added."
I always LIKE a leader that does things unconventionally and for GOOD. At least with good intention is how I read President Modi's spur-of-the-moment visit and PM Sharif's impromptu welcome!
Lessons for me are:
1. national leader HAS immense power to initiate a CHANGE. A SIGNIFICANT change even if he or she may be BEHOLDEN to SOME so-called king/queen-makers within their political parties in an imperfect overrated democracy!;
2. because YOU ARE the national leader, you CAN go it alone and 'ask for forgiveness rather than ask for permission'!! President Obama SHOULD be doing things HIS WAY IF his WAY is going to BENEFIT the majority of Americans regardless of their political affiliation and/or allegiance! e.g. he should just BAN guns and disregards the all powerful, or made to seem like powerful, Gun lobbyists!!;
3. regardless of WHAT, and even IF, the 'lingering effect' will be on the topsy turvy India-Pakistan relationship after this unexpected Modi's visit, who ever are put in charge to follow up WILL BE JUDGED by their country's folks and the international communities HOW they measure up to the lofty expectations created by the LEADERS' actions. Sometimes, those who were sitting-on-the-fence may DECIDE to throw their weight to help get a GOOD THING GOING instead of letting it die and be held responsible. Of course, there are times when the inertia and resistance to CHANGE are so STRONG that the initial euphoria and momentum get killed in its track. Still, that is an exciting thing to be doing, and an excepting time to doing TOO.
May the relationship between India and Pakistan moves another step forward and their friendliness and cooperation will help to resolve some of the difficult knots in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and the middle east region that are in some kind of perpetual conflicts and wars!
"A hug and high tea: Indian PM makes surprise visit to Pakistan - The Straits Times 26 Dec 2015
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI (REUTERS) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise stopover in Pakistan on Friday (Dec 25) to meet his counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, the first time an Indian premier has visited the rival nation in over a decade.
The visit, requested by Modi just hours earlier before he flew back home from Afghanistan, raised hopes that stop-and-start negotiations between the nuclear-armed neighbours might finally make progress after three wars and more than 65 years of hostility.
Sharif hugged Modi after he landed at the airport in the eastern city of Lahore and the two left by helicopter for Sharif’s nearby family estate.
Modi phoned Sharif earlier in the day to wish him on his birthday and asked if he could make a stop in Pakistan on his way home, Pakistan’s top diplomat, Foreign Secretary Aizaz Chaudhry, told reporters. “And the PM said to him, ‘Please come, you are our guest, please come and have tea with me’,” he said.
It was Sharif’s 66th birthday and the family home was festooned with lights for his grand-daughter’s wedding on Saturday (Dec 26). Modi and Sharif talked for about 90 minutes and shared an early evening meal before the Indian leader flew back home.
“Among the decisions taken was that ties between the two countries would be strengthened and also people-to-people contact would be strengthened so that the atmosphere can be created in which the peace process can move forward,” Chaudhry said.
The next step will be for the two countries’ foreign secretaries to meet in the middle of next month, he added."
I always LIKE a leader that does things unconventionally and for GOOD. At least with good intention is how I read President Modi's spur-of-the-moment visit and PM Sharif's impromptu welcome!
Lessons for me are:
1. national leader HAS immense power to initiate a CHANGE. A SIGNIFICANT change even if he or she may be BEHOLDEN to SOME so-called king/queen-makers within their political parties in an imperfect overrated democracy!;
2. because YOU ARE the national leader, you CAN go it alone and 'ask for forgiveness rather than ask for permission'!! President Obama SHOULD be doing things HIS WAY IF his WAY is going to BENEFIT the majority of Americans regardless of their political affiliation and/or allegiance! e.g. he should just BAN guns and disregards the all powerful, or made to seem like powerful, Gun lobbyists!!;
3. regardless of WHAT, and even IF, the 'lingering effect' will be on the topsy turvy India-Pakistan relationship after this unexpected Modi's visit, who ever are put in charge to follow up WILL BE JUDGED by their country's folks and the international communities HOW they measure up to the lofty expectations created by the LEADERS' actions. Sometimes, those who were sitting-on-the-fence may DECIDE to throw their weight to help get a GOOD THING GOING instead of letting it die and be held responsible. Of course, there are times when the inertia and resistance to CHANGE are so STRONG that the initial euphoria and momentum get killed in its track. Still, that is an exciting thing to be doing, and an excepting time to doing TOO.
May the relationship between India and Pakistan moves another step forward and their friendliness and cooperation will help to resolve some of the difficult knots in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and the middle east region that are in some kind of perpetual conflicts and wars!
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