Islamabad: The unexpected invite to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to attend the oath taking of Indian Prime minister in waiting Narendra Modi on May 26 may have dispelled some of the foreboding in Islamabad after the BJP swept the national elections in India.

With ex-Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi now set to take the gaddi (the seat of power) in New Delhi, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s government is braced to face what may be a new phase in the two states’ relations that will no doubt require deft handling.

The mood is cautious with Islamabad waiting to see how New Delhi now takes forward the initiative aimed at normalising ties, especially in view of Modi’s reputation of being stridently anti-Pakistan.

There is also optimism among the business community that is hoping for improved trade and economic cooperation with India.

The same optimism though muted is also echoing in the corridors of power in Islamabad. Many feel that Sharif and Modi have the capability and will to improve trade and deepen economic cooperation.

But the question is if this enthusiasm for improved economic ties and trade will translate into implementation since many unsettled issues remain.

Moreover, the political roadblocks pertaining to key issues — such as Kashmir, Sir Creek, Siachin and water distribution, as well as terrorism and tensions on the LoC — impose restrictions by default on improvement in any sector whether it’s economic, social, cultural or sports.

The Special Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security, Sartaj Aziz in an exclusive interview with Gulf News had this to say: “The prime minister congratulated Narendra Modi on a historic victory since the BJP is the only single party in 30 years that achieved enough majority to form a government without requiring a coalition. Modi’s priorities are economic revival and development and the BJP agenda is peaceful relations with the neighbours. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has the same, albeit he says that peace will come with good relations. So this is a good starting point for the two countries and their leaders.”

Sartaj said: “We have two types of engagement with India — composite dialogue and back-channel dialogue. Issues like Kashmir, Sir Creek and Siachin are back-channel issues, which we have been engaged with India on and there are front-channel issues such as CBMs [confidence building measures] energy and trade cooperation. Let’s see how they respond. There has not been much of composite dialogue so far but trade and power purchasing and visa relaxation are issues we have been discussing with India. In the coming days we will be able to see what transpires at the diplomatic level, most probably in September at the United Nations General Assembly session where Prime Ministers Sharif and Modi will probably meet.”

Speaking on the issue of how Pakistan-India relations will fare with Modi at the helm in India, Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United Kingdom and United States, Maleeha Lodhi said: “A new and untested political entity in Delhi will confront Islamabad with fresh diplomatic challenges. How relations between the two countries will evolve will depend, in large part, on how Modi’s avowed muscular nationalism translates into policy. Some Indian analysts are already predicting “a more muscular China and Pakistan policy”. But no one in the BJP has spelt out what that might mean in practice.

For Pakistan, distinguishing between what the BJP has said in the election and what it actually does in government will help to fashion a sound approach to deal with the new dispensation.”

Lodhi said, “There are of course concerns in Pakistan that a Modi-led government might adopt a harder line on Kashmir. Persuading Delhi for talks that recognise Kashmir’s importance to the normalisation process will likely be more problematic under Modi than it was during Congress rule.”

On a more optimistic note, Lodhi said, “A new government in Delhi will offer an opportunity for a reset of relations. The issue Islamabad will have to address is how to deal with the new government if, as present indications suggest, Delhi refuses to revive the broad-based “composite” dialogue, cherry-picks issues of priority to India and excludes Kashmir, Siachen and Sir Creek from the structured engagement between the two countries.”

The silver lining to the cloud, if Modi proves an astute statesman is the opportunity the mandate gives him to move forward in mending ties with Pakistan. The fact that Sharif invited him to visit Pakistan incidentally also raised criticism in some quarters. Previous invites to Manmohan Singh had been rejected by New Delhi over Pakistan’s alleged unwillingness to prosecute those accused of involvement in the 2008 Mumbai attack.

Sartaj, speaking on Sharif’s invite to Modi, however, countered the criticism and said: “Prime Minister Sharif’s invite to Modi to visit Pakistan did not give a perception of weakness. Previous refusals by Manmohan Singh were linked to [Mumbai] attacks but diplomatic initiatives keep occurring. The positive thing is that people also now want [a] resumption of peace and better relations with India and the people-to-people contact has been there. So lets hope for the best we can.”

It seems that Sharif’s invitation to Modi may have been a good move considering how the Indian side responded by inviting him to the oath-taking. With Pakistan having now confirmed Sharif’s participation at the ceremony, this is an opportune moment to restart a new phase in relations.

—The writer is a former Deputy Opinion Editor of Gulf News