Pakistan has said it is “premature” for the country to congratulate Prime Minister Narendra Modi for securing third consecutive term since the formation of government was going on in India.
These remarks by Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokes person Mumtaz Zahra Baloch came on Friday two days ahead of Modi’s swearing-in ceremony. This statement by Baloch came after she was asked whether her country had officially congratulated Narendra Modi on winning the general elections.
"We do not have any comments on their electoral process," Baloch said, adding that since the formation of Government was going on in India, it is "premature" to talk about congratulating the Indian Prime Minister.
Addressing her weekly Press briefing, Baloch said Pakistan desired "cooperative ties" with all neighbours, including India, and resolution of disputes through talks.
Baloch also said Pakistan has been acting in a "responsible manner, notwithstanding the difficulties and rhetoric coming from India".
"Pakistan has always desired cooperative relations with all its neighbours including India. We have consistently advocated constructive dialogue and engagement to resolve all outstanding issues, including the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir," she said.
Pakistan downgraded its ties with India after the Indian Parliament suspended Article 370 on August 5, 2019, a decision that Islamabad believed undermined the environment for holding talks between the neighbours.
India has been maintaining that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan while insisting that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment that is free of terror and hostility for such an engagement.
"Pakistan believes in peaceful co-existence. We hope that India will take steps to create a conducive environment for the advancement of peace and dialogue and resolution of long-standing disputes for the mutual benefit of the peoples of Pakistan and India," Baloch said at the briefing.
Asked if Pakistan has congratulated Modi on winning the elections, Baloch said it is the right of Indian citizens to decide about their leadership.
Earlier this year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India "never closed doors to talking to Pakistan" but the terrorism issue should be "fair, square at the centre of the conversation".
“We have never closed our doors on talking with Pakistan. The question is what to talk about ... If some guy has that many terrorist camps ... that should be the central part of the conversation," he said.
