Pakistanis positive about India PM

NEW DELHI, May 24 (UPI) -- Pakistani analysts view the Indian election result as a change for the better, and believe that India-Pakistan relations will improve, The India Times reports.

Najam Sethi, editor of the Pakistani newspaper Friday Times, said a secular government in India is the best thing that could have happened. "And the botched-up 'India Shining' campaign has a lesson for Pakistani rulers as well -- that no amount of propaganda can make the people believe that the economy is doing well unless it is actually doing well," he added.

Columnist Ayaz Amir said the perception that the BJP government was the standard bearer for good relations with Pakistan was mistaken. He expects India's new prime minister, Manmohan Singh, to get along with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf at least as well as his predecessor.

As for Sonia Gandhi's decision in refusing the post of prime minister, Pakistani commentators seemed to view it as a wise move. "As PM she would always be accused of not being sufficiently Indian, especially in foreign policy initiatives. She can now be the queen with her own prime minister and cabinet," the Times quoted an unnamed foreign affairs expert as saying.