PM should have waited before inviting Sharif: BJP

Vice President Balbir Punj says Manmohan Singh should have waited to see what changes come about in Pakistan's attitude towards India

The Prime Minister has shown haste in inviting Nawaz Sharif after his party's victory in parliamentary elections and should have first assessed any positive change in Pakistan's attitude towards India, the opposition BJP said today.

"The Prime Minister has been in too much of a haste to invite Mr Nawaz Sharif. Infact, we should have waited to see what changes come about in Pakistan's attitude towards India and if there were some positive signs, surely he would have invited him," BJP Vice President Balbir Punj said.

The BJP leader said it was too early to invite Sharif as he was yet to take over as the Prime Minister in Pakistan.

"But it is too early and infact it doesn't make much sense to invite him even before he had been sworn in," Punj said.

The party had yesterday hailed the democratic transition in neighbouring Pakistan where Nawaz Sharif appeared set to return to power and had expressed hope that the new regime there would strengthen the process of improving ties with India.

"We are very happy that democracy has flourished in Pakistan... Only through democracy can our relations be improved," party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar had said yesterday.