Enabling environment must to revive India-Pak ties: Imran Khan to Modi

In what looks like the beginning of a thaw in strained relations, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in a letter to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi has called for an “enabling environment” to proceed with constructive talks to iron out existing issues and differences between the two nations.

In a starter, Pakistan on Wednesday is slated to consider resumption of trade relations with India, Indian Express reported.

Khan’s letter was in response to Modi’s greetings to him on the occasion of Pakistan Day. Modi in his letter had expressed India’s desire to keep cordial relations with Pakistan, while stating that “an atmosphere of trust, devoid of terror and hostility” is a must to rekindle it.

Thanking Modi for the wishes, Khan in his letter wrote that the people of Pakistan also “desire peaceful, cooperative relations with all neighbours including India”.

“We are convinced that durable peace and stability in South Asia is contingent upon resolving all outstanding issues between India and Pakistan, in particular the Jammu and Kashmir issue,” Khan wrote adding that an enabling environment is imperative for a constructive and result-oriented dialogue.

Armies of both India and Pakistan recently agreed to strictly adhere to all ceasefire agreements along the Line of Control including in Jammu and Kashmir. Soon after Khan and Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa pitched for cordial India-Pakistan relations stating that it was time for both countries to forget past differences and move forward.

According to Indian Express, the Pakistan Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs is slated to meet on Wednesday to decide on the import of sugar and cotton from India, in what could be a possible revival of trade ties between the two estranged nations.

Ties between both the countries suffered a blow following terror attacks on an Air Force base in Pathankot in 2016 and another in Uri the same year. What worsened it was the Pulwama attack which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF men on February 26, 2019, and following which the Indian Air Force destroyed a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan.

Trade was affected between the two countries after Pakistan withdrew the same following the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019.