Engagement is the way forward, Modi tells Imran
LETTER Pak minister jumps gun, India clarifies no invite to talks
NEWDELHI/ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent a letter to his newly elected Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan, conveying New Delhi’s commitment to build good neighbourly relations and pursue constructive and meaningful engagement, people familiar with the development said on Monday.
Modi sent the letter to Khan on Saturday, the day the cricketerturned-politician was sworn in as Pakistan’s 22nd premier. At his first news conference on Monday, Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi acknowledged the letter was received on Sunday.
Qureshi called for a “continued, uninterrupted dialogue” and appeared to imply that India had made an offer of dialogue to Khan. He said that Modi “has sent a message about starting the path of dialogue”, which he described as “a very positive thing”.
Both sides issued clarifica- tions later in the day that Modi’s letter was limited to “constructive engagement”.
“Prime Minister Modi 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,” an Indian government official said in New Delhi after Qureshi’s news conference. Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman said the letter mentioned the “way forward was only through constructive engagement”.
In the letter, Modi recalled his phone call with Khan in which they spoke of their “shared vision to bring peace, security and prosperity on the Indian subcontinent in order to make it free of terror and violence and to focus on development”, said the Indian official quoted above.
Qureshi said he will work for better relations and bridging the trust deficit with all neighbours, including India and Afghanistan.
Referring to India, Qureshi said: “We need a continued, uninterrupted dialogue, which is the path of wisdom.”