Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif congratulated his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for the third consecutive term. The Prime Minister of Pakistan felicitated Modi through a small message that read, "Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif felicitates Narendra Modi on taking oath as the Prime Minister of India."
The swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Modi and his Council of Ministers was held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan in Delhi on Sunday.
Though Prime Minister Modi and his Council of Ministers received innumerable congratulatory messages from leaders across the world, the sentiment of the message from Sharif matters as much owing to the strained relations the two South Asian countries have had until now during the two consecutive terms of the Modi government.
"The felicitation message of PM Shehbaz says it all. It reeks of the ongoing acrimony between the two countries. It lacks warmth and all the statements hoping for an improvement in relations. Rather, it looks more like a ritual, which can't be avoided," said senior political analyst Javed Siddique.
Another important fact is that Modi did not invite Pakistan for the swearing-in ceremony, unlike in 2014, when then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was invited.
In fact, another interesting point to note is that there is a stark difference between the message of PM Shehbaz Sharif and his elder brother Nawaz Sharif, the President of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), to Prime Minister Modi on Monday.
While Nawaz Sharif, in his message, congratulated Modi for his third straight term and expressed hope to "replace hate with hope" for a better future for both the countries, Shehbaz preferred to limit his message to simple felicitation.
"My heartiest congratulations to Modi Ji on assuming office for the third time. By electing your party in recent elections, the people of India have reposed continued confidence in your leadership. We, the South Asian people, must join hands to bring on peace and prosperity in the region by fostering hope," he posted on X.
While PM Shehbaz enjoys a close relationship with the current coalition government, his elder brother is known as a leader who is known to defy getting in line with the military leadership of the country.
Unable to secure a majority during the general elections in February, Nawaz Sharif looks after party matters through his daughter and chief minister of Punjab province, Maryam Nawaz Sharif.
The close relationship shared between PM Modi and Nawaz Sharif was clearly visible when Modi made a sudden visit to Lahore in 2015 on Sharif's invitation and stayed at his residence, Jati Umra.
Analysts believe that going by the way the BJP-led NDA conducted itself during the past campaign weeks, things don't appear on the brighter side between the two neighbours during Modi's third term.
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