A Prime Minister Publicly Disappointed in His Counterpart

In October 2013, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told reporters that he was disappointed in Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The specific grievance was that an agreement reached during their meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, relating to peace on the Line of Control, had not translated into any change on the ground.

The statement was candid to the point of being unusual. Prime ministers rarely register public disappointment in their foreign counterparts by name, particularly when diplomatic engagement with that country remains active policy. The remark also carried an implicit acknowledgement that the New York meeting had produced an understanding that Pakistan subsequently did not honour.

LoC ceasefire violations had been rising through 2013. India recorded hundreds of incidents that year, a significant increase from prior years. The Indian Army had raised the matter repeatedly through military channels.

Manmohan Singh's public expression of disappointment did not alter the government's posture. Engagement with Pakistan continued. The ceasefire violations continued alongside it.