By Muhammad Luqman
Prime Minister Imran Khan has once again extended an offer to his counterpart in neighbouring India, Narendra Modi, to resolve reconcilable problems.
In a letter to Modi congratulating him on his second term as the prime minister of India following general elections, Khan wrote that Pakistan desires the resolution of all problems, including that of the disputed Kashmir region.
The premier further added that talks between the two nations were the only solution to help both countries’ people overcome poverty and that it was important to work together for regional development.
Pakistan, Imran Khan wrote, wished for peace in the South Asian region and that that, alongside stability, were required for the states as well as the region to move forward.
On Thursday, the Indian foreign ministry had said no meeting between PM Khan and Modi was scheduled on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.
“To the best of my knowledge, no meeting is being arranged between Prime Minister Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on the sidelines of the SCO meet,” IndianForeign Ministry’s spokesperson Raveesh Kumar had said.
Talks about dialogue between Pakistan and India started gaining momentum after Khan had earlier congratulated his Indian counterpart on his party’s electoral victory in the Lok Sabha elections.
Khan had expressed his desire for the two countries to work together for the betterment of their people. In a tweet earlier, he had congratulated Modi, saying he looked forward to working for “peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia”.
Modi had responded in a Twitter post, thanking PM Khan for his “good wishes” and saying he, too, wanted peace in the region.
India and Pakistan became members of the SCO in 2017, joining the forum founded in 2001 by Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.
