Modi invites Pak PM Nawaz Sharif to his swearing in ceremony

New Delhi In a major diplomatic signal to the region as well as to the global community Indias prime ministerdesignate Narendra Modi who surprised the world with his election victory and is set to head the countrys next government has invited heads of all the SAARC countries including Pakistan for his oathtaking ceremony May 26BJP supporters wear Narendra Modi masks in Mumbai File picThe letters were sent this afternoon Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh wrote to her SAARC counterparts inviting their leaders to the swearing in on Monday external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin saidAkbaruddin said in a statement later that the ministry has been holding informal consultations with SAARC members on the matter and hoped to have their responses in the next couple of daysThis is for us a first of sorts because this is the first time that India has invited all SAARC members to attend a swearingin ceremony of the prime minister he saidSAARC comprises besides India Pakistan Bangladesh Sri Lanka Nepal the Maldives Bhutan and AfghanistanPakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Photo AFPHowever all eyes are on Pakistan to see if Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will accept the unexpected invitationAsked if Sharif who came to power last year would attend the ceremony Pakistani diplomatic sources said the invite has been received but could not say as yet if their prime minister would be attendingJammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said Modis move to invite Sharif and other SAARC leaders was excellent On Twitter Abdullah expressed the hope that it would be the beginning of sustained talks between India and PakistanBangladesh parliament Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury will represent her country at the swearingin ceremony This was confirmed by Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam to bdnews24com Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has to go to Tokyo May 24 on an official visit that will run through to May 28Former envoy Sheel Kant Sharma who has served as SAARC secretary general said it was a fantastic move by Modi to give the regional grouping such importance Sharma told IANS It is a very very welcome move It is a clear message that he plans to begin with the regionFormer envoy Hardeep Singh Puri who has joined the BJP told IANS It is a brilliant initiative well considered SAARC is home to 16 billion people we share common developmental challenges It is one of the least integrated subregions in the world the connectivity is minimalHe said if the region stays united the potential was immense It is a signal from the PMelect to the SAARC heads of government and state that we have common vital interests in the stability and prosperity of the region and would be willing to talk to each other for the development and prosperity of SAARCModi has been greeted by many world leaders from US President Barack Obama to British Prime Minister David Cameron and by neighbours Pakistan Bangladesh and Sri LankaAn avid tweeter with more than four million followers Modi who has great communication skills has taken to Twitter diplomacy to respond to some of the leaders and inform his followers about the world leaders who have greeted himModi will take oath as Indias 14th prime minister at the ceremony that is expected to be attended by over 3000 invited guests and will be telecast live The swearingin ceremony would be held in the open forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan the presidential palace