Pakistan PM Imran Khan writes to ‘Modi Sahab’ seeking resumption of Indo-Pak peace talks
Khan has proposed a meeting between foreign minister Sushma Swaraj and her Pak counterpart Shah Mehmood Qureshi at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September.
By Adam Rizvi, TheIndiaObserver, TIO: New York: In a fresh move seeking dialogue between the two neighboring nations, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Imran Khan in his letter has sought dialogue between his foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi with his Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York later this month.
Imran’s letter is in response to the one PM Modi had written to him days ahead of his swearing-in ceremony.
Comprehensive bilateral dialogue between India and Pakistan was launched in December 2015, however, it was stalled after the dastardly terror attack on Pathankot airbase in January 2016.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. pic.twitter.com/2FZRci3d50
— ANI (@ANI) September 20, 2018
“They can explore the way forward, especially the holding of the SAARC Council of Ministers followed by the SAARC Summit in Islamabad. The summit will offer an opportunity for you to visit Pakistan and for us to re-start the stalled dialogue process.”
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Khan said Pakistan remained ready to discuss terrorism, and that “discussions on trade, people-to-people contacts, religious tourism [and] humanitarian issues are also important”.
“We…owe it to our peoples, especially the future generations, to peacefully resolve all outstanding issues, including the Jammu & Kashmir dispute, to bridge differences and achieve a mutually beneficial outcome. Siachin [sic] and Sir Creek also need close attention to move towards resolution,” Khan said.
The India-Pakistan ties nose-dived in recent years with no bilateral talks taking place. The ties between the two countries had strained after the terror attacks by Pakistan-based groups in 2016.
The sentencing of Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav to death by a Pakistani military court in April over espionage charges last year further deteriorated the bilateral relations.
Pakistan’s continuous violation of ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir has added to the tension between the two nuclear-capable countries.
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