Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise stopover in Lahore Friday to meet his counterpart Nawaz Sharif, who turned 66 on Dec. 25.
Modi, who was received by Sharif at Lahore's Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, held an informal interaction with the Pakistani premier. He also met Sharif's mother and other family members at the Pakistani prime minister's ancestral home, according to Business Standard.
Am personally touched by Nawaz Sharif Sahab 's gesture of welcoming me at Lahore airport and coming to the airport when I left.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 25, 2015
Spent a warm evening with Sharif family at their family home. Nawaz Sahab's birthday & granddaughter's marriage made it a double celebration — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 25, 2015
Looking forward to meeting PM Nawaz Sharif in Lahore today afternoon, where I will drop by on my way back to Delhi.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 25, 2015
Spoke to PM Nawaz Sharif & wished him on his birthday. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) December 25, 2015
Modi's surprise visit to Pakistan on Friday was the first by an Indian premier in last 12 years.
The Indian PM, who returned to Delhi on Friday evening after a brief stay in Pakistan, said that he was touched by Sharif's gesture of receiving him personally at the Lahore airport.
"Am personally touched by Nawaz Sharif sahab's gesture of welcoming me at Lahore airport and coming to the airport when I left," Modi said after his return to India.
Pakistan called Modi's visit a "goodwill gesture," saying that both leaders agreed to continue talks.
"The Modi-Sharif meeting was held in a very cordial atmosphere... It has been decided that there will be greater interaction, people-to-people contact, and an environment of goodwill will be created," Pakistani foreign secretary Aizaz Chaudhry said, according to DNA India.
However, Indian opposition parties raised questions over Modi's unscheduled visit.
"It is unfortunate that we get to know about Prime Minister's visit through a tweet... India and Pakistan relations are not so good as yet that he stops over there on his way back from another country. Parliament session got over just a few days back, why was the House and country kept in dark?" key opposition Congress party's spokesperson Ajoy Kumar said, according to India Today.
