New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi called up Pakistan’s prime minister-in-waiting Imran Khan to congratulate him on hisPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emerging as largest political party in the recent election and spoke about ‘peace and development’ in the South Asian region.
The Ministry of External Affairs released a statement on Monday night noting that Modi had called Khan earlier in the evening to convey a personal congratulatory message.
‘Prime Minister spoke to Mr Imran Khan, chairperson of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party and congratulated him for his party emerging as the largest political party in the National Assembly of Pakistan in the recently conducted general elections,’ said the MEA communique.
PTI has emerged the winner of parliamentary elections with 116 seats, with the previous ruling party Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) obtaining just 64 seats. Khan’s party is currently involved in negotiations to cobble together a coalition by talking to smaller parties.
The MEA press release noted that Modi ‘expressed hope that democracy will take deeper roots in Pakistan’.
‘Prime Minister also reiterated his vision of peace and development in the entire neighbourhood,’ it added.
There was no direct mention in the MEA press statement about Imran Khan’s offer in his election victory speech to hold talks with India and stop the ‘blame game’ on Kashmir.
‘The leadership of Pakistan and India now need to come to the table to resolve this and end the blame games,’ he said on July 25, adding ‘we are stuck now in square one’.
The Modi’s phone call was his first direct contact with Imran after they had met in New Delhi in December 2015 . At that time, both leaders had hoped for ‘closer cooperative ties between the two countries’
India’s first response to the elections came on Saturday when it had welcomed the fact that ‘people of Pakistan have reposed their faith in democracy through general elections’.
‘India desires a prosperous and progressive Pakistan at peace with its neighbours. We hope that the new Government of Pakistan will work constructively to build a safe, stable, secure and developed South Asia free of terror and violence,’ said the MEA spokesperson .
Modi’s call to the victor came two days after the results were formally announced, in contrast to the congratulatory message Manmohan Singh had delivered to Nawaz Sharif when the latter won the 2013 elections.
