No request for talks with Pakistan: India

ISLAMABAD: Responding to media queries relating to Prime Minister Modi’s response to Imran Khan’s congratulatory message on the grand win in general elections, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday morning made it clear there was no request made to the Pakistan side for talks.

The government rubbished reports in Pakistani media that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had written to his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan, wishing to resume talks between the two countries.

“The Indian response is as per the established diplomatic practice and the Indian side highlighted that New Delhi seeks normal and cooperative relations with all neighbours, including Pakistan.”

Both Modi and the new external affairs minister S Jaishankar, in response to the congratulatory messages from Khan and Pakistan Foreign Minister SM Qureshi, had urged Islamabad to create an environment free of terror and highlighted in their individual responses that India seeks normal and cooperative relations with all neighbours, including Pakistan.

Modi in his response to Khan had said, “It is important to build an environment of trust, free of terror, violence, and hostility.” And Jaishankar too emphasised the need for an “atmosphere free from the shadow of terror and violence”

Earlier, the Government of Pakistan had received a positive response from India after Pakistan had extended an offer to resolve reconcilable problems between the two countries. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Imran Khan in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi had congratulated him on his second term as the prime minister of India following general elections.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi had also written a letter to his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar congratulating him on assuming office.

According to sources, Pakistan had offered talks on the resolution of all problems, including that of the disputed Kashmir region. In response, Indian PM Modi and his minister for external affairs in their letters responded positively on the proposal for peace talks with Pakistan.

The letters stated that India was ready to hold a comprehensive and concrete dialogue between the two countries, sources added.

Sources further said the letters state that India wants a relationship with all the countries in the region along with peace and development in the region.

The letter added that India has always preferred the development of the people and that this effort has also been appreciated by Pakistan.

Furthermore, the letter states that India is ready to hold discussions with Pakistan and other countries, with a special focus on terrorism in negotiations. Sources added PM Imran and Qureshi will soon respond to the letter from their counterparts.