In U-turn on Min’s claim, Islamabad clarifies Indian PM didn’t offer dialogue
After Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated his newly-elected Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan and said India wanted and hoped for “constructive and meaningful engagement with the neighbouring country”, Islamabad on Monday clarified that no dialogue on the table was offered by India.
Pakistan claimed that its Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi “had not stated that ‘the Indian Prime Minister had made an offer of a dialogue’.” In a message to the nation on Monday, Imran said his country will enter into talks with all neighbours to normalise ties as “without it peace can’t be brought in the country”.
Referring to Modi’s August 18 letter to the new Pakistan Prime Minister, Qureshi had on Saturday said, “I have been told by the Foreign Secretary that the Indian PM has sent a letter in which he has congratulated Mr Imran Khan and he has sent a message for talks, it is very positive.”
In the letter, Modi had conveyed that India was looking for constructive and meaningful engagement with the border nation, need to work for a terror-free South Asia, and expressed India’s commitment to build good neighbourly relations between the two countries. The Indian PM also hoped that both countries will work to open a new chapter in bilateral ties, sources said.
By emphasising that New Delhi has not offered a peace dialogue, India has seemingly emphasised its stated position that terror and talks cannot go together.
In Islamabad, the Pakistan Foreign Minister offered “uninterrupted” dialogue with India to resolve all outstanding issues, saying it is the “only wise course” as the two countries cannot afford any “adventurism”.
On July 30, Modi had telephoned Imran to congratulate him on his party’s victory in the general elections and expressed hope that both countries will work to open a new chapter in bilateral ties.
Days before Modi’s phone call, Imran said 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.”
Imran, backed by the Pakistan Army, had until last month built his entire poll campaign on an anti-India tirade.
In the letter, Modi recalled his telephonic conversation with Imran, in which they spoke of their shared vision to bring peace, security and prosperity in the Indian subcontinent to make it free of terror and violence, the sources said, quoting from the letter.
In his letter, the PM also expressed the belief that the smooth transition of Government in Pakistan will strengthen and cement people’s belief in democracy.
Ties between India and Pakistan hit rock bottom following a spate of terror attacks on Indian military bases by Pakistan-based terror groups since January 2016. Following the strikes, India announced it will not engage in talks with Pakistan, saying terror and talks cannot go hand-in-hand.
Modi had made an unannounced visit to lahore in December 2015 — the first visit to Pakistan by an Indian premier in more than 10 years. He made the surprise visit on his way back from a trip to Russia and Afghanistan.
The visit had raised hope for a thaw in ties but a series of cross-border terror attacks in next few months on Indian establishment as well as India’s retaliatory “surgical strikes” put the bilateral ties under further strain.