Advertisement

Updated August 20th, 2018 at 18:00 IST

India busts Imran Khan's minister's fake talks claim, even as Pakistan raises 'Nuke bogey'

Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that PM Modi's congratulatory letter to Imran Khan was a call for negotiations over long-running disputes.

Reported by: Ankit Prasad
| Image:self
Advertisement

Update at 4:28 PM: Pakistan makes U-turn on its new Foreign Minister's claim regarding India allegedly making an offer of dialogue. Here's the press release - 

"In response to a query regarding the controversy being unnecessarily created by sections of the Indian media, the Spokesperson stressed that the Foreign Minister had not stated that “the Indian Prime Minister had made an offer of a dialogue”, but had said that the Indian Prime Minister in his letter to Prime Minister, Imran Ahmed Khan Niazi, had also mentioned something similar to what the Foreign Minister elucidated earlier i.e. that the way forward was only through constructive engagement. The Foreign Minister was also briefed about the same positivity and constructive environment prevailing during the meeting of the former Minister of Law & Information with the Indian External Affairs Minister during his visit to India on 18 August 2018 to attend the funeral of Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Pakistan looks forward to a mutually beneficial, uninterrupted dialogue with India to resolve all issues. Any attempts to instigate controversy and vitiate the environment are counterproductive and against the spirit of responsible journalism."


Mere days after the new Imran Khan-led government came to power in Pakistan, the Indian government has contradicted claims by the new Pakistan foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, that in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's congratulatory letter to Imran Khan and in ensuing high-level communication between the two countries was a call for negotiations over long-running disputes.

Addressing media persons, Qureshi said:

"We received a letter from India's Prime Minister yesterday in which he congratulated Imran Khan and when I spoke, they gave a message of negotiations. That is a very positive sign".

Read: Imran Khan Becomes Pakistan's Prime Minister: Should 'Jihad University' Expect More Funding?

However, top sources within the Indian government have now contradicted this claim, revealing details of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's letter:

  • PM Modi wrote to Imran Khan congratulating him for taking up the office
  • PM Modi said that the mandate given to Imran Khan is an expression of faith in his leadership and in democracy
  • The Prime Minister said that India looks forward to having good neighbourly relations with Pakistan for peace and security in the region
  • The Prime Minister referred to the telephonic conversation he had with Imran Khan earlier and said that he looks forward to a good working relationship

Qureshi also chose this address to raise Pakistan's nuclear threat citing it as a deterrence against any adventurism.

Emphasising talks, Qureshi harkened back to the visit of former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee to Pakistan, concluding that uninterrupted and continued dialogue should be the priority.

The Indian Government has made clear, in light of unabating terror attacks and infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir sponsored by Pakistan, that there will be no talks while there is terrorism

The Congress party has jumped on the matter, even as it continues to come under fire for its leader Navjot Singh Sidhu hugging the Pak Army chief while attending Imran Khan's oath-taking, with Jaiveer Shergill saying, "BJP's neeti towards Pakistan is like Jalebi. On TV they're saying 'Hum Pakistan ko cheer denge', but off-camera they are saying 'hum unko kheer denge'".

Get today’s India news and stay updated with latest news headlines. Follow the latest India news and never miss out on any updates. Download the app or visit Republic World to watch Live TV & get all the breaking news from India.

Advertisement

Published August 20th, 2018 at 14:28 IST

Your Voice. Now Direct.

Send us your views, we’ll publish them. This section is moderated.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Trending Quicks

Kangana Ranaut
a few seconds ago
Congress Press Conference
8 minutes ago
Virat Kohli's text to RCB owners got WPL team to unbox event
9 minutes ago
Pakistan and the IMF agree on a $1.1 billion disbursement for the debt-ridden economy.
10 minutes ago
Patna Shuklla poster
12 minutes ago
Millet
13 minutes ago
Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE
20 minutes ago
IndiGo direct flight between Mumbai and Ayodhya
23 minutes ago
former dsp shailendra singh revealed criminal activity of Mukhtar Ansari
26 minutes ago
IBL Finance IPO
29 minutes ago
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell
34 minutes ago
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Whatsapp logo