Imran Khan writes to PM Modi, says Pakistan wants talks with India to resolve all disputes

A day after India said there will be no bilateral meeting with Pakistan on the sidelines of the SCO summit in Bishkek, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in a letter to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on Friday said Islamabad wants talks with New Delhi to resolve all reconcilable problems, including the Kashmir issue, according to a media report.

According to Geo TV, Khan, in a letter to Modi, congratulated him on his second term as the prime minister of India, and also said dialogues between the two neighbouring countries were the only solution to help people overcome poverty and that it was important to work together for regional development.

Khan said Pakistan desires the resolution of all problems, including that of the Kashmir issue, the report added.

This is the second time after Modi was re-elected to power that the Pakistani premier has expressed his desire to work together with India for the betterment of their peoples. 

Tensions between the two countries worsened after the Pulwama terror attack and both the countries were almost on the brink of a war after India's military planes struck a terrorist training camp in Pakistan's Balakot on February 26 and Pakistan carried out a counter-offensive the next day.

On May 26, breaking the ice in bilateral ties, Khan spoke to Modi congratulating him on the massive electoral victory in the general elections and expressing his desire to work with him towards the advancing the objective of peace, progress and prosperity in South Asia.

Modi on his part called for creating trust and an environment free of violence and terrorism for fostering peace and prosperity in the region.

On Thursday, the External Affairs Ministry said India has rejected Pakistan's offer of talks, maintaining that terror and talks cannot go together. No bilateral meeting has been planned between Prime Minister Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Khan on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek.

Earlier, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi also wrote to his new Indian counterpart S Jaishankar, saying that Islamabad wants talks with New Delhi on "all important matters" and remains committed to efforts for establishing peace in the region.

Qureshi told Jaishankar in the letter that "Islamabad wants talks with New Delhi on all important matters and remains committed to efforts for establishing peace in the region," the Express Tribune reported on Friday quoting diplomatic sources. 

(With PTI inputs)