FO hopeful Modi’s call to Imran could pave way for talks

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office Spokesman Dr Muhammad Faisal welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s phone call to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, expressing hope that this could pave the way for talks between the South Asian neighbours.

Earlier this week, Indian Prime Minister Modi had congratulated Imran Khan over his party’s success in the elections. During the telephone conversation, Modi expressed hope that democracy will take deeper roots in Pakistan and reiterated his vision of peace and development in the region.

"We hope and expect this will be taken forward. Conversations will lead in the spirit they are being represented to resumption of the comprehensive bilateral dialogue and the holding of the SAARC summit," Dr Faisal told reporters during the Foreign Office weekly briefing on Thursday.

Dr Faisal said that foreign heads of state had not been invited to the oath-taking ceremony of the newly elected prime minister.

He added 214 of the 260 Pakistanis stranded at a Chinese airport had been brought back to the country while the remaining passengers would return by Friday.  

Pakistan summons Indian envoy

The Foreign Office on Thursday summoned Indian Deputy High Commission to protest over the killing of a woman by Indian firing along the Line of Control (LoC).

In a statement, the FO said Indian forces resorted to firing in the Mandal village, resulting in the killing of a 33-year-old woman.

A protest letter was handed over to the Indian envoy, JP Singh, in which India was told that it has violated ceasefire 1,400 times this year.