Pakistan PM Imran Khan writes third letter to PM Modi, renews call for peace

ISLAMABAD, SRINAGAR: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has written another letter to PM Narendra Modi, offering him to work together for durable peace and stability in South Asia and to promote a peaceful neighbourhood Pakistan today reported.

This is the third consecutive letter by Imran to his Indian counterpart since he took office last year. Soon after taking over the reins in Islamabad, Prime Minister Imran had inked a letter to Modi, urging him to resume the dialogue process between the two countries that has been suspended since 2015.

On May 2, Prime Minister Imran wrote another letter to congratulate Premier Modi on his election win, reiterating his offer for reopening dialogue with India.

A senior official at Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that PM Imran had sent a letter to Premier Modi congratulating him on assumption of office and Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood had delivered the same in New Delhi.

“Besides Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has also sent a letter addressed to Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. This is in line with established diplomatic norms and inter-state practice. Foreign Secretary delivered these letters in New Delhi earlier this week,” the official said.

Asked to comment over the nature of the communication, the official said the letters underscored Pakistan’s consistent policy of peaceful neighbourhood and the vision of working for durable peace and stability in South Asia with peaceful resolution of all outstanding issues, including the Jammu & Kashmir dispute.

“Pakistan also emphasised the need to work together, on the basis of mutual respect and trust, to address challenges faced by people of both the countries, including poverty and underdevelopment. The need to advance the goals of regional peace, progress and prosperity through collective endeavours was underscored,” the official added.