On Tuesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan responded to a letter by his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi thanking him for his wishes on Pakistan Day.
Prime Minister Modi had written to Khan on March 23 to mark the occasion of Pakistan Day, and expressed his hope for cordial and peaceful relations between the two nuclear-armed rivals in “an environment of trust devoid of terror and hostility.”
In his reply, Khan said that the people of Pakistan “also desire peaceful, cooperative relations” with India, adding that they were “convinced that durable peace and stability in South Asia is contingent upon resolving all outstanding disputes between India and Pakistan, in particular, the Jammu and Kashmir dispute.” In this regard, he emphasised the need to create an “enabling environment” to achieve a “constructive and result-oriented dialogue.”
Apart from the exchange between the two premiers, the Pakistani government is also convening for a meeting today to discuss resuming trade with India, especially for the import of sugar and cotton. Bilateral trade ties had also taken a significant blow following India’s decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Indian Constitution in August 2019, which revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
This is the latest push towards the improvement of relations between the two countries. Last month, Pakistani Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s called for a peaceful resolution to the Jammu and Kashmir conflict. Bajwa said, “Pakistan and India must resolve the longstanding issue of Jammu and Kashmir in a dignified and peaceful manner as per the aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir and bring this human tragedy to its logical conclusion.” He further added, “We stand firmly committed to the ideal of mutual respect and peaceful co-existence. It is time to extend a hand of peace in all directions.”
In response, Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that any resolution of the issue would require Pakistan to abandon its support for terrorism. He said, “Our position is well known. India desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility, and violence. The onus is on Pakistan for creating such an environment.” Moreover, he reiterated that no bilateral agreements or dialogues between the two countries can be achieved unless these conditions are fulfilled by Pakistan.
Currently, senior officials from India and Pakistan are also participating in the ninth ministerial conference of the Heart of Asia – Istanbul Process (HoA-IP), which is aimed at ending the conflict in Afghanistan by seeking regional consensus regarding the country’s stalled peace process, in Tajikistan’s capital Dushanbe. The meeting is being attended by Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar, and the attendance of both leaders at the conference has led to speculation of a possible meeting between the two.
Pakistan PM Khan Replies to India PM Modi’s Letter, Echoes Desire for Peaceful Relations
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan responded to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi’s letter seeking for an improvement in relations between the two countries.
March 31, 2021
SOURCE: PTI