Pakistan is ready to hold talks with the new Indiangovernment to resolve all outstanding issues, Foreign Minister Shah MehmoodQureshi has said.
Addressing an Iftar dinner in Multan on Saturday, Qureshisaid both India and Pakistan should sit on negotiation table to solve issuesfor the sake of prosperity and peace of the region, state-run Radio Pakistanreported.
His remarks came two days after Prime Minister Narendra ModiThursday led his Bharatiya Janata Party towards a super-sized victory for asecond term in office.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday congratulated Modi on his electoral triumphand expressed desire to work with him for peace and prosperity in the region.
“I congratulate Prime Minister Modi on the electoralvictory of BJP and allies. Look forward to working with him for peace, progressand prosperity in South Asia,” Khan tweeted in both English and Urdu.
In April, Khan said he believed there may be a better chanceof peace talks with India and settle the Kashmir issue if Modi’s party wins thegeneral elections.
The results of India’s general elections are verysignificant for Pakistan as the new government in New Delhi will determine the courseof Indo-Pakistan ties, which were pushed to a new low after the Pulwama attack.
Just a day before the announcement of results, Qureshi andhis Indian counterpart Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday exchanged pleasantries on thesidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of ForeignMinisters’ meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. He conveyed to her Pakistan’s desireto resolve all issues through dialogue.
Tensions flared up between India and Pakistan after asuicide bomber of Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM) killed 40 CRPF personnel in Kashmir’sPulwama district on February 14.
Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out a operation insidePakistan on February 26.
The next day, Pakistan Air Force retaliated and downed aMiG-21 in an aerial combat and captured an IAF pilot, who was handed over toIndia.