PM Modi writes to Imran Khan, talks good ties, terror

New Delhi/Islamabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written to his newly-elected Pakistan counterpart Imran Khan for building good “neighbourly relations” and emphasised the need to work for a terror-free South Asia, official sources said on Monday.

On July 30, Mr Modi, in a big friendly gesture, had made a congratulatory phone call to Mr Khan for his party bagging the largest number of seats in the Pakistan National Assembly.

In his letter written to Mr Khan on August 18, the day he was sworn in as Pakistan’s 22nd Prime Minister, Mr Modi recalled their telephonic talk during which the two leaders “spoke of their shared vision to bring peace, security and prosperity in the Indian subcontinent, in order to make it free of terror and violence, and to focus on development”.

Ties between India and Pakistan had nosedived following a spate of terror attacks on Indian military bases by Pakistan based terror groups since January 2016. Following the strikes, India had announced that it would not engage in talks with Pakistan, saying terror and talks cannot go hand-in-hand.

Sources in New Delhi said that Mr Modi, in his letter, expressed the belief that the smooth transition of government in Pakistan would strengthen and cement people’s faith in democracy.

“The PM expressed India’s commitment to build good neighbourly relations between India and Pakistan and pursue meaningful and constructive engagement for the benefit of the people of the region,” they said.

Days before Mr Modi’s phone call last month, Mr Khan had said that he wanted to improve ties with India and resolve all the issues through talks. “If India takes one step towards us, we will take two.” The cricketer-turned-politician had said that Pakistan is ready to improve its ties with India and his government would like the leaders of the two sides to resolve all disputes, including the “core issue” of Kashmir, through talks.

On Monday, soon after the news of Mr Modi’s congratulatory letter to Mr Khan emerged, Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who took oath in the morning, reportedly indicated in Islamabad that the Indian Prime Minister has called for talks between the two countries in the communication.

However, hours later the Pakistan’s foreign office clarified that Mr Modi had “not made an offer of a dialogue” in the letter to Mr Khan.

Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson in Islamabad clarified that the new foreign minister had not stated that “the Indian Prime Minister had made an offer of a dialogue”.

The foreign office also accused certain sections of the Indian media of unnecessarily trying to create a controversy. “Any attempts to instigate controversy and vitiate the environment are counterproductive and against the spirit of responsible journalism,” said the spokesman.

Addressing mediapersons after taking oath, Mr Qureshi offered “uninterrupted” dialogue with India to resolve all outstanding issues, saying it is the “only wise course” as the two “atomic powers” cannot afford any “adventurism”.

Mr Qureshi was the foreign minister from 2008 to 2011 under the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government when the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks took place. He was in New Delhi when 10 Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) terrorists attacked India’s financial capital.

Mr Qureshi, the vice-president of the Mr Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), said Indian external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj sent a letter on Sunday to congratulate Mr Khan and mentioned about talks to resolve issues. “I welcome her letter,” he said.

“I want to say to the Indian foreign minister that we are not only neighbours but also nuclear powers. We have old issues and we both know what these issues are. We need to address these issues,” he said.