The media8217;s mixed bag

The English dailies, namely Dawn, The News and The Nation, gave a positive view to the event leading with the talks between the two Prime Ministers last evening and their commitment that talks are the only means of solving bilateral problems.

Though all the dailies also displayed prominently the troubles on the arrival of the Prime Minister, there were no editorial comments on the historic visit.

On the other hand the vernacular dailies virtually went overboard in giving display to the troubles in Lahore due to demonstrations by the activists of the Jamaat-e-Islamiin which a police constable was killed. One of the newspapers, Khabrain went to the extent of declaring that the whole nation rose against the visit of the Indian Prime Minister with a unanimous 8220;go-back8221; slogan.

The largest circulated Urdu daily, Jang, however, was the exception among the vernacular dailies as it highlighted Vajpayee8217;s arrival in Pakistan carrying comments by the two Prime Ministers.

Almost all the urdu dailies also gave extensive coverage to the historic visit with a number of items on the minor details of the Vajpayee8217;s arrival at the border checkpost at Wagha.

The News had claimed that the chiefs of three armed forces of Pakistan had refused to join the welcome party led by Nawaz Sharif to receive Vajpayee at Wagha last evening.

The paper quoting highly placed sources had said that the service chiefs had turned down the Government8217;s request to be at the border saying they did not want to receive the Prime minister of 8220;an enemy country8221; and thus put sharif in anembarrassing situation.

The three services chiefs were, however, present at the governor8217;s house to receive Vajpayee after having excused themselves from being at the border due to their preoccupation with the visit of the Chinese Defence Minister to Islamabad.