Modi wishes Sharif on Ramzan with promise to free fishermen

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday called up his Pakistani counterpart M Nawaz Sharif and conveyed “good wishes for the holy month of Ramzan”.

He also called up and greeted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Modi’s gesture to Sharif came close on the heels of the recent war of words between New Delhi and Islamabad.

“Also conveyed to PM Sharif our decision to release detained Pakistani fishermen on this pious occasion (sic),” wrote Modi on Twitter, shortly after making public his call.
“The fishermen released will be able to be with their families to observe this blessed month,” he added.

Sharif is learnt to have told Modi leaders were like heads of families, and should lead their people to peace and prosperity. Pakistan and India should work together for peace, he reportedly said.

Sharif recently slammed the “political leadership” of India for making “irresponsible” and “imprudent” statements.

The Senate and Pakistan's National Assembly also passed resolutions condemning “provocative and hostile” statements from New Delhi and said the remarks reflected India's “hegemonic mindset”.

Sharif's statement was apparently in response to Modi's remarks in Dhaka University during his recent visit to Bangladesh, where he had accused Pakistan of disturbing India “every now and then”, creating “nuisance and promoting terrorism”.

He had also referred to 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh, saying 90,000 Pakistani prisoners of war had been in India's custody after the end of the war.

Islamabad on Thursday had also reacted to New Delhi’s not-so-subtle indications that the Indian Army’s recent raid inside Myanmar, targeting the camps of the insurgents that are operating in the North-East, was also a message to Pakistan.

New Delhi has since long been accusing Islamabad of supporting anti-India terrorist outfits and providing them sanctuary.