New Delhi, Feb 24: In a dramatic development after the US President Donald Trump described the face-off between the two South Asian neighbours as “very, very bad” and stated that the hostilities should end, a Pakistani Hindu lawmaker from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party Ramesh Kumar Vankwani met Indian leaders including foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and Minister of State for External Affairs Gen V K Singh.
Posting a snap of his meeting with Ms Swaraj, Mr Vankwani tweeted: “Nice meeting with @Sushma Swaraj. Peace is in the best interest of people of both countries, Pakistan and India”.
Mr Vankwani was here as part of a large international visiting team of foreign nationals who were on a day-long trip to Prayagraj Kumbh on Friday.
Vankwani’s Twitter profile also describes him as a Patron-in-chief of Pakistan Hindu Council.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj among others met the visiting foreign nationals from as many as 182 countries. There was no confirmation till evening on whether Mr Vankwani met Prime Minister Modi separately.
A resident of Karachi Mr Vankwani had a brief interaction with MoS External Affairs V K Singh during the lunch break.
When asked to comment on the present impasse in ties between India and Pakistan, the visiting lawmaker (member of the National Assembly of Pakistan) said – “my government in Pakistan does not want any problem….and I can speak to Indian leaders and Prime Minister Narendra Modi if there are problems between the two countries”.
Indian officials declined to divulge details about the visiting MP, who is also the chairman of Pak National Assembly Standing Committee on Statistics.
