Indo-Pak relations should move beyond VIP diplomacy, says CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury

"Now it has been agreed to talk on everything, including J&K. So this suddenly dropping by in Pakistan is good. But the talks should sustain," Yechury said.

Sitaram Yechury

India-Pakistan relations should move beyond “VIP diplomacy” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan Premier Nawaz Sharif and be carried forward to people to people contact, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Saturday.

“As far as relations with Pakistan is concerned, the CPI(M) has always maintained that talks should go on. There are two aspects. Initially, the secretary level talks was disrupted by us (India) as it was said that we will discuss only terrorism and no other issue.

“Now it has been agreed to talk on everything, including J&K. So this suddenly dropping by in Pakistan is good. But the talks should sustain,” Yechury told reporters in Kolkata.

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His comments come in the backdrop of a surprise visit by Modi to Pakistan when he flew into Lahore last afternoon, his first touchdown in that country, to meet Sharif.

The announcement on the visit came from Modi himself yesterday morning in a tweet as he prepared to wind up his brief visit to Afghanistan.

“What is happening right now is VIP diplomacy. We cannot have Ghulam Ali singing in India. We cannot have Pakistani cricket team playing in India. We cannot have our families which have been separated by partition meet each other. This VIP-level diplomacy should not end here and it should carried forward to people to people contact,” Yechury said.

CPI(M) on Friday had welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise visit to Lahore and called for “consistent and regular” dialogue with Pakistan for lasting peace between the two neighbours.