The results of India's General Elections are very significant for Pakistan as the formation of the next government in New Delhi will determine the course of Indo-Pakistan ties, which were pushed to a new low after the Pulwama terror attack.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan congratulated his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi for leading the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party to a historic win in the recently-held Lok Sabha elections. As results are trickling in, the BJP is leading in 300 seats, while the Opposition Congress is trailing far behind with 50 seats.
“I congratulate Prime Minister Modi on the electoral victory of BJP and allies. Look forward to working with him for peace, progress, and prosperity in South Asia,” Khan tweeted.
A host of world leaders including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated PM Modi after trends showed a comfortable majority for the NDA in the Lok Sabha polls.
The results of India’s general elections are very significant for Pakistan as the formation of the next government in New Delhi will determine the course of Indo-Pakistan ties, which were pushed to a new low after the Pulwama terror attack.
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In an interview to The Indian Express, PM Modi had said the “way ahead” with the neighboring nation Pakistan depends on the action it takes against terrorism. Modi’s Balakot air strike in Pakistan before the polls soared his popularity in India. The IAF air strike and action against Pakistan featured many times during Modi’s Lok Sabha election campaign.
Before the elections began, Khan also batted for a second-term for BJP saying there may be a better chance of peace talks with India if the incumbent government is back.
Speaking to a group of foreign journalists in Pakistan, Khan, according to a Reuters report, said that if the Congress leads the next government, it may be too scared to seek a settlement with Pakistan over Kashmir, fearing a backlash from the right. “Perhaps if the BJP — a right-wing party — wins, some kind of settlement in Kashmir could be reached,” he said.
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