Simran Sodhi,Tribune News Service,New Delhi, December 25

PM Narendra Modi’s whirlwind round of diplomacy has left many surprised. From Russia to Kabul and to Lahore, the PM managed to grab headlines but then by now, that is pure Modi style. The Russia visit was announced in advance and in the public gaze. The Kabul part of the trip was kept out of public scrutiny, owing to security concerns, and that is understandable. But stopping in Lahore, just on the basis of a phone call Modi made to Sharif in the morning, is somewhat hard to digest.While the BJP has gone on record to state that there were no back-channel negotiations for today’s Modi-Sharif meeting, for anyone familiar with the nuances of diplomacy, it’s almost unbelievable. Sources within the government admit that this must have been decided in advance, since a prime ministerial visit is not undertaken on whims and fancies. Which brings us back to the moot point: what is the thinking behind this hurried, nation-hopping diplomacy?Russia was an annual summit and the key defence agreements reached had been fleshed out weeks and months in advance. Modi’s visit to Kabul was more symbolic in nature, inaugurating the Parliament building that India has financed and gifted to the Afghan people as a symbol of friendship and cooperation. But why this sudden decision to stop in Lahore and meet Nawaz Sharif? From a government that said terror and talks cannot go together, the Paris handshake has led to an acceleration of relations, which have every possibility of a boomerang and hitting us unaware. The two PMs, under international pressure, had a brief chat in Paris on November 30. Next, National Security Advisers (NSA) of the two sides met in Bangkok on December 6 and then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj flew to Islamabad on December 8 to attend a multilateral conference. And then the announcement came of resumption in the ‘comprehensive composite dialogue’. So far, it has been all rapid-fire diplomacy but clearly the government has had a change of heart and talking with Pakistan is back on the table.The speculation since then was afoot of Modi visiting Pakistan next year to attend SAARC summit. But the calculations probably were that by then, things could again go back to the no-talk zone. So a ‘surprise’ visit by the PM gets thrown in. It also happens to be great convenience that it is Sharif’s birthday today and Modi had called to wish him and then he said “come over”, and the PM agreed.The two PMs met and held talks and Modi becomes the first PM to visit Pakistan after AB Vajpayee in 2004. Apart from that, what is achieved? It’s another great photo-op but in terms of diplomacy, which would include tough negotiations over the outstanding bilateral issues, this really amounts to nothing.