BJP describes Modi-Sharif talks as breakthrough, Cong questions circumstances

Commenting on the development Union Home Minister and senior BJP leader Rajnath Singh said : "The joint statement is a step forward towards normalising bilateral relations, however the future outcome will be keenly watched."I congratulate the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi  for his statesman like approach and engaging Pakistan on diplomatic level," he said. 

The hour-long bilateral talks between the two leaders on the sidelines of SCO summit in Russia's Ufa produced some groundbreaking results, including a military-to-military contact between the two countries and  Modi's first-ever visit to Pakistan for a SAARC summit.

In another development, India agreed to send more evidence against terrorists being tried in Pakistan in connection with the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. 

The leaders were in one  voice in condemning  and eliminating terrorism.

During the talks that went on longer than expected Modi accepted an invite from Nawaz Sharif to visit  Pakistan for the regional SAARC summit next year. 

A joint statement listing out the decisions was issued by the foreign secretaries of both the countries.

However, skeptical about the venue being chosen for the talks, Congress questioned why the meeting was held in Ufa.

. "Pakistan killed an Indian soldier during ceasefire (on the LoC)... and Prime Minister Modi is meeting Nawaz Sharif... this is the government that made tall claims that they will teach Pakistan a lesson," Congress leader Meem Afzaal said.

"Today  the PM is meeting Nawaz Sharif without any reason... we would like to know what were the circumstances that Modi had to invite Sharif for the meeting," he said.

The BJP in reply said : "Pakistan has accepted our definition of terrorism" and it proved the talks were successful.

"The meeting was a breakthrough, the reason for this is very clear as for the first time Pakistan has accepted our definition of terrorism," BJP leader MJ Akbar said.

"For the first time Pakistan has accepted to combat terrorism in 'all its forms'," he said, while pointing out that Pakistan had, for long, tried to play a nuanced game on this subject by trying to differentiate between good terrorism and bad terrorism; for India terrorism was always an unmitigated evil.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah  said it is  a "good first step".

"Resumption of the Indo-Pak dialogue is a welcome development. I only hope that this time it is sustained over the long term for results...We've seen too many breaks in this process to allow today's announcements to excite us much here in the valley but it's a good," he tweetd.