Accessibility links

Breaking News

Pakistan PM Khan Offers Reconciliation in Letter to India's Modi 


FILE - This combination of file pictures shows, left, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on an official visit to Tokyo, Oct. 29, 2018, and, right, Pakistan's Imran Khan speaks to the media in Islamabad, Nov. 3, 2016.
FILE - This combination of file pictures shows, left, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi on an official visit to Tokyo, Oct. 29, 2018, and, right, Pakistan's Imran Khan speaks to the media in Islamabad, Nov. 3, 2016.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has written a letter to his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, offering dialogue to reconcile their differences.

In a letter to Modi he sent Friday congratulating him on his second term as prime minister, Khan wrote that Pakistan wants to resolve all problems, including those associated with the disputed Kashmir region, according to media reports.

Khan added that talks between the two nations are the only solution to help both countries to overcome poverty, and that it is important to work together for regional development.

Pakistan wishes for peace and stability in the South Asian region, Khan is said to have written, saying those are mandatory for the states and the entire region to move forward.

Indian officials said Modi had no plans to meet Khan at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) meeting in the Kyrgyz capital, Bishkek, next week.

"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," Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

Over the last few years, India has refused any initiative for talks, saying cross-border terror has to stop before talks can begin.

In April, Khan was quoted as saying that he saw a better chance of peace talks with India if Modi's BJP won the elections. He said if the next government in India were led by the Congress party, it might be "too scared" to seek a settlement with Pakistan over Kashmir, fearing a backlash.

  • 16x9 Image

    VOA News

    The Voice of America provides news and information in more than 40 languages to an estimated weekly audience of over 326 million people. Stories with the VOA News byline are the work of multiple VOA journalists and may contain information from wire service reports.

XS
SM
MD
LG