Mujraparty
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Pakistan wants the controversial Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi to become India's next prime minister because it believes he will provide the strong leadership necessary for peace talks, senior Pakistani diplomats have told The Telegraph.
Islamabad's unexpected approval marks an extraordinary turn around for the Gujarat chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader who, until very recently, was regarded as an international pariah for failing to stop the massacre of Muslims in the 2002 riots. The United States lifted its de facto boycott of Mr Modi just two months ago.
In an interview with The Telegraph last month, Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan's acting foreign minister, conceded only that his government was willing to "deal with" Mr Modi if he is elected in India's nine-stage general election, which ends next month.
But as Mr Modi's campaign gathers momentum, senior officials have now told The Telegraph that not only did they they believe he will be India's next prime minister but that he is, in fact, Islamabad's preferred choice
The possible welcome for a Modi victory reflects Pakistan's frustration over the failure to revive talks between the rival regional powers after fall-out over the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks which were launched from Karachi.
Last September Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan's prime minister, called for "serious, sustained and constructive engagement" between the two countries, which have fought four wars since their independence in 1947.
"I have always given high priority to good relations with India for the sake of durable peace in the region. We are keen to have a comprehensive dialogue with India for the resolution of all issues including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
Even as he made that appeal, there was scepticism among his officials who believed the Congress-led government under Dr Manmohan Singh was too weak to make progress so close to a general election.
Now they believe only a more powerful Indian leader can revive the dialogue. "Modi will win and we prefer a strong government which will be better for talks," one senior Pakistani official told The Telegraph.
"We expect a strong government of the BJP will emerge in India and we hope to do business with it. We hope to have comprehensive talks and that this government will be able to take steps to improve," said another Islamabad official.
Mr Aziz, Pakistan's national security adviser who is de facto foreign minister, told reporters in Islamabad that he hoped the new Indian government would be able to begin a fresh dialogue, while officials said they would grant India under a new government "most favoured nation" trading status as a goodwill gesture.
They hope this will provide Mr Modi an opportunity to open new talks without appearing weak.
Relations with Pakistan blossomed after the BJP under Atal Bihari Vajpayee last won power in India in 1998. The following year Mr Vajpayee signed a declaration to avoid nuclear confrontations with Mr Sharif, who was Pakistan's prime minister at the time.
But the attempted rapprochement was thwarted when Pakistan's army chief, General Pervez Musharraf, allowed his troops to join an incursion by Islamic militants into India's Jammu and Kashmir.
A few months later Mr Sharif was overthrown by Gen Musharraf in a military coup, returning to power only last year. Now Pakistan's army also favours peace with India to allow it to focus on fighting the Taliban insurgency.
Mr Modi's hopes of becoming India's next prime minister will be decided by the middle of next month, when voting in the last of nine stages of the election will have been completed.
Pakistan 'backs Narendra Modi' as India's next prime minister - Telegraph
Islamabad's unexpected approval marks an extraordinary turn around for the Gujarat chief minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader who, until very recently, was regarded as an international pariah for failing to stop the massacre of Muslims in the 2002 riots. The United States lifted its de facto boycott of Mr Modi just two months ago.
In an interview with The Telegraph last month, Sartaj Aziz, Pakistan's acting foreign minister, conceded only that his government was willing to "deal with" Mr Modi if he is elected in India's nine-stage general election, which ends next month.
But as Mr Modi's campaign gathers momentum, senior officials have now told The Telegraph that not only did they they believe he will be India's next prime minister but that he is, in fact, Islamabad's preferred choice
The possible welcome for a Modi victory reflects Pakistan's frustration over the failure to revive talks between the rival regional powers after fall-out over the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks which were launched from Karachi.
Last September Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan's prime minister, called for "serious, sustained and constructive engagement" between the two countries, which have fought four wars since their independence in 1947.
"I have always given high priority to good relations with India for the sake of durable peace in the region. We are keen to have a comprehensive dialogue with India for the resolution of all issues including the issue of Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
Even as he made that appeal, there was scepticism among his officials who believed the Congress-led government under Dr Manmohan Singh was too weak to make progress so close to a general election.
Now they believe only a more powerful Indian leader can revive the dialogue. "Modi will win and we prefer a strong government which will be better for talks," one senior Pakistani official told The Telegraph.
"We expect a strong government of the BJP will emerge in India and we hope to do business with it. We hope to have comprehensive talks and that this government will be able to take steps to improve," said another Islamabad official.
Mr Aziz, Pakistan's national security adviser who is de facto foreign minister, told reporters in Islamabad that he hoped the new Indian government would be able to begin a fresh dialogue, while officials said they would grant India under a new government "most favoured nation" trading status as a goodwill gesture.
They hope this will provide Mr Modi an opportunity to open new talks without appearing weak.
Relations with Pakistan blossomed after the BJP under Atal Bihari Vajpayee last won power in India in 1998. The following year Mr Vajpayee signed a declaration to avoid nuclear confrontations with Mr Sharif, who was Pakistan's prime minister at the time.
But the attempted rapprochement was thwarted when Pakistan's army chief, General Pervez Musharraf, allowed his troops to join an incursion by Islamic militants into India's Jammu and Kashmir.
A few months later Mr Sharif was overthrown by Gen Musharraf in a military coup, returning to power only last year. Now Pakistan's army also favours peace with India to allow it to focus on fighting the Taliban insurgency.
Mr Modi's hopes of becoming India's next prime minister will be decided by the middle of next month, when voting in the last of nine stages of the election will have been completed.
Pakistan 'backs Narendra Modi' as India's next prime minister - Telegraph
