Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif hug on meeting in Lahore on Friday.

They have the mandate, the will and, to top it all, the courage. What happened on Friday in the subcontinent was unparalleled. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, breaking all protocols and overcoming any fear of an opposition backlash at home, decided to stop over in Lahore to greet his Pakistani counterpart on his birthday.

This gesture was met with equal zeal by Nawaz Sharif who turned up at Allama Iqbal International Airport to receive Modi and then take him in a chopper to his ancestral home in Raiwind.

Journalists, political commentators as well as diplomats on both sides of the divide were caught unawares.

This was unconventional diplomacy. This was a bold move by Modi given the history of bad blood between the two neighbors.

Modi’s unprecedented gesture has been largely welcomed not only at home but also abroad.

Many important Indian and Pakistani community members in the Kingdom see this as a positive development.

Zia Nadwi, an Indian national who runs DPS and Al-Waha school in Jeddah, said that he hoped that the gesture helped to bring down the wall of mistrust between the two countries.

“It is always good for the two neighbors to live in peace like friends,” he said.

Farzan Rizvi, GM at Al-Shaya company and president of Aligarh Muslim University alumni association of Jeddah, thinks that dialogue is the only way forward. “Conflict is not going to solve anything,” he said, adding that the historic development should continue with further high-level talks.

Syed Riaz Bukhari, president of Pakistan People’s Party for Saudi Arabia, described it as a positive step, saying that the resolution of problems is in the interest of the two nations.

“No third party can solve our problems. We ourselves have to sit down for talks,” said Bukhari, who thinks that the visit was pre-planned.

He also thinks that the Pakistan army will support the development. “A country is not run by the army. The army is a stakeholder so far as defense is concerned. But it cannot enter other domains.”

Eng. Ehsanul Haq, a Pakistani national who is the convener of the Pakistan Repatriation Council, considers Modi’s initiative a breakthrough. “A breakthrough has been achieved and the deadlock is over. Hope all issues — including Kashmir — are solved,” he said.

“This softening of attitude will have a downward effect, and relations will improve on the social, sports and cultural levels. If trade ties improve, this will help both countries,” Haq said, adding that the army will support this positive gesture and help in joint efforts against terrorism.

Haq, however, does not believe that a prime minister-level visit can be personal.

Mohammed Masood Ahmed Puri, a long-time Pakistani businessman in Jeddah, does not agree with Haq. He thinks Modi’s stopover in Lahore was not pre-planned.

“It was a purely private visit,” he said.

“It is a very good development. The two governments have realized that dialogue is the only option. Now that a positive initiative has been taken, the outcome will definitely be positive,” Puri said.

He is sure that the army will stand in support of the Sharif government.

Dr. Abdul Aleem Khan, a Pakistani national who is the president of Engineers Welfare Forum in Jeddah, agrees that the army will support the positive development.

“The government and the army are on the same page,” he said.

Khan said that Pakistan and India are natural neighbors with cultural and social ties binding the nationals of the two countries. These ties should be reflected in the political process also, he said, adding that the people in Pakistan are very happy with this development.

Jamal Qadri, a long-time Indian resident in Jeddah and president of Urdu Academy, said that the citizens of both countries will benefit and will be happy with these peace moves. “It is a development worth appreciating. But politics should be kept aside,” he added.

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