Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s daughter, Maryam, has thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his birthday wishes to her father, who turned 67 on Sunday. “Thank u for your kind prayers. Shared yr tweet with my father who deeply appreciates the gesture & conveys his best,” she tweeted.
Mr. Modi tweeted birthday greetings to Mr. Sharif on Sunday. “Birthday wishes to Pakistan PM Mr Nawaz Sharif. I pray for his long and healthy life,” Mr. Modi tweeted from his official handle.
Neither the Pakistan Prime Minister’s House nor the Foreign Office responded to Mr. Modi’s gesture. Officials said that as nothing had been communicated by the Indian Prime Minister through the formal channel, they could not issue any response.
The electronic media ran the story of Mr. Modi wishing Mr. Sharif but the news did not make headlines. Last year, Mr. Modi personally greeted his Pakistani counterpart when he made a surprise visit to Lahore, making it a huge media show.
Ms. Maryam’s tweet attracted huge criticism on social media but was also appreciated by a few. Analyst Zahid Hussain said ‘Twitter’ diplomacy might have begun but could not say if it would lead to any improvement of relations. “The Twitter birthday wish signifies the downturn in relations between the two countries yet raises a slim hope,” he said. Ties between the two countries have hit a low following the terrorist attacks in Pathankot and Uri. Ceasefire violation on the LoC has become regular.
