Pakistan has responded to reports that India has not invited PM Imran Khan to Narendra Modi’s swearing-in ceremony on Thursday, blaming internal politics and recent “Pakistan-bashing” employed by Modi during the election campaign.
Foreign Minister Mehmood Qureshi explained to the Geo News program that the snub had been expected by Islamabad, as Modi had employed anti-Pakistan rhetoric during India’s grueling five-week election process.
His [Modi’s] entire focus [during the election campaign] was on Pakistan-bashing. It was unwise to expect that he can get rid of this narrative [soon].
Earlier, New Delhi invited leaders of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)—which alongside India includes Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan—to Modi’s swearing-in ceremony on Thursday. When Modi first took office in 2014, Pakistan’s then leader, Nawaz Sharif, attended the inauguration alongside leaders of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) body.
Also on rt.com Final results: Modi’s party wins overwhelming majority in Indian parliamentHowever, relations between India and Pakistan have dipped to their lowest in decades over the past months. In February, a suicide bomb attack by Pakistan-based jihadists in Indian-controlled Kashmir killed 40 members of India’s paramilitary police force, prompting renewed border clashes and aerial battles between Indian and Pakistani forces. However, an all-out conflict between the two nuclear powers was averted.
As part of efforts to normalize relations, Qureshi noted that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had telephoned Modi to congratulate his BJP party on securing a second term in office last week. During the conversation, Khan had “expressed desire for both countries to work together for [the] betterment of their peoples,” according to a foreign ministry statement.
Also on rt.com India explodes 500-kg bomb as tit-for-tat tests raise tensions with PakistanIf he [Modi] wants development of this region...the only way is to sit with Pakistan to find a solution.
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Source : RT - Daily news
No invitation for Pakistani PM to Modi’s swearing-in rooted in ‘Pakistan bashing’ campaign – FM
No invitation for Pakistani PM to Modi’s swearing-in rooted in ‘Pakistan bashing’ campaign – FM
