MEA clarifies no offer for dialogue was made after controversy erupts, Pak blames Indian media. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent a letter to his newly-elected Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan, conveying that India was looking for constructive and meaningful engagement with the border nation. In his letter, Modi noted that India was committed to peaceful neighbourly ties with Pakistan for the benefit of the people of the region.

Recalling his telephonic conversation with Khan, Modi spoke of their shared vision to bring peace, security and prosperity in the Indian subcontinent, in order to make it free of terror and violence and to focus on development.

Pakistan’s newly-appointed foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Monday said, “Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written a letter to PM Imran Khan in which he indicated the beginning of talks between the two countries. India and Pakistan have to move forward, keeping realities before them,” reported Pakistani media.

Addressing his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj, Qureshi said, “I want to tell the Indian foreign minister that we are not just neighbours; we are atomic powers. We have a lot of common resources. We have long-standing issues, both of us know these problems. But we have no other option but to engage in dialogue. We cannot afford adventurism.”

Meanwhile, the newly-elected PM of Pakistan has also expressed desire for friendly relations between the two countries. “If they take one step towards us, we will take two, but at least need a start. Kashmiris are suffering for long. We have to solve Kashmir issue by sitting across the table,” he said in his first media interaction after winning the general elections.

India contradicts Pak claims about offer of talks in letter

Sources from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) have clarified that no offer for talks had been made by Modi in his missive and there was no change in India’s stated position of ‘terror and talks cannot go together’. MEA further said that Modi had only expressed the belief that smooth transition of the government in Pakistan would strengthen and cement people’s belief in democracy.

Meanwhile, Pak foreign ministry in a statement slammed “certain sections of the Indian media” for “unnecessarily creating controversy” over Qureshi’s statement. A Pak Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) spokesperson said that Qureshi had stated that the only way forward was only through constructive engagement.

‘Sidhu-Pak Army chief hug could bring a breakthrough’

Even as former cricketer and Punjab’s tourism minister Navjot Singh Sidhu was greeted with protests for attending Khan’s swearing-in and censured by his own chief minister Amarinder Singh for hugging Pak army chief Gen Omar Javed Bajwa, the state Congress leadership has come out in his support.

“What the Punjab CM said was because he is a former armyman, but Sidhu’s visit was that of a sportsman. Apparently, a soldier belonging to Singh’s regiment had lost his life last week and he responded appropriately. As far as Sidhu is concerned, it was a personal visit. He visited Pakistan purely as a friend of Imran Khan,” pointed out Punjab PCC chief Sunil Jakhar.

A complaint was filed in a Bihar court against Sidhu, seeking registration of a case against him under sedition and other charges .

(With inputs from Lakshmi Iyer)

Courtesy: Mirror: 05 Aug, 2018