PM Modi wishes Pak on its National Day; hopes for cordial terms in terror-free environment

On the occasion of Pakistan's National Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday extended his greetings to the people of the neighbouring country. In a letter to his counterpart Imran Khan, PM Modi expressed that India desires cordial relations with Pakistan. However, he emphasized that to achieve it, an environment of trust, 'devoid of terror and hostility' is imperative. 

"Excellence, at this difficult time for humanity, I would like to convey my best wishes to you and the people of Pakistan for dealing with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic," PM Modi wrote in his letter to Imran Khan. 

Pakistan celebrates March 23 as its Republic Day, commemorating the Lahore Resolution passed on this day in 1940 when it adopted its constitution. The day celebrates the adoption of the Pakistan Resolution by the Muslim League at the Minar-e-Pakistan and also witnesses a parade by the armed forces of the country. As per reports, President Ram Nath Kovind also extended his greetings to his counterpart Arif Alvi. 

'Talks & terror cannot go together'

PM Modi's emphasis on an environment devoid of terror comes at a time Imran Khan has been attempting to push the onus of progressing peace talks on India. Earlier this month, Khan had acknowledged India's tough stance on no talks without an environment stance free of terror, hostility and violence. Addressing the Islamabad Security Dialogue, PM Khan noted, "India has told Pakistan that talks and terror cannot go together." 

In the same address, he discussed Pakistan's vision of comprehensive national security and spoke at length on the issue of peace in the region, including peace between his country and India. "The unresolved Kashmir issue was the biggest hurdle between the two countries," Khan added. 

Notably, in February this year, India and Pakistan had issued a joint statement agreeing to strictly observe the 2003 Ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control (LoC). The move which has been welcomed by global leaders came in the aftermath of repeated LoC violations by Pakistan including multiple infiltration attempts foiled by the Indian Army. Incidentally, the consensus on ceasefire came a day after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan called for resolving differences with India via dialogue. On his maiden visit to Sri Lanka, Khan made this comment during his address at the Pakistan-Sri Lanka Trade and Investment Conference on Wednesday. Claiming that he had unsuccessfully attempted to diffuse tensions in the bilateral relationship after assuming power in 2018, he stressed the need to improve trading ties with India. 

PM wishes Imran Khan speedy recovery 

Recently, PM Modi also wished Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan a 'speedy recovery' on Saturday after the latter tested positive for COVID-19. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi conveyed his best wishes to Imran Khan wishing him a quick recovery. Imran Khan had tested positive for COVID-19 nearly two days after being administered the first dose of China's Sinopharm vaccine. 

Faisal Sultan, Special Assistant to the Pakistan PM on National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination made this announcement on Twitter, adding that Khan is self-isolating at home. Meanwhile, Pakistan's Ministry of National Health Services has clarified that PM Khan was not 'fully vaccinated' yet and had only undergone the 1st dose of the Chinese vaccine. As per the Ministry, antibodies kick-in after almost 2-3 weeks from the second dose of 2-dose vaccines like Sinopharm.