NEW DELHI:  As Prime Minister Narendra Modi heads to Lahore on a surprise visit, Janata Dal (United) (JD-U) said it was “stunned” by the decision, especially in the wake of violations by the neighbouring country on the border, including the beheading of an Indian soldier.

The party said that “friendship and betrayal cannot go hand in hand” as it reacted sharply to the surprise announcement by Prime Minister Modi as he prepared to wind up his brief visit to Afghanistan today.

“I am stunned and shocked. At this moment, I can think of beheaded Hemraj,” said JD(U) leader KC Tyagi.

Lance Naik Hemraj was killed and beheaded by Pakistani soldiers on January 8 last year in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

Mr Tyagi said “nothing is going to improve unless the leaders of Pakistan change their mindset. Pakistan should know that friendship with India on one hand and betrayal on the other cannot go together.”

The ties between India and Pakistan have witnessed some positive developments after a chill of several months. The two countries recently decided to launch a comprehensive dialogue after Prime Minister Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif met in Paris recently.

[“source-ndtv”]