Modi calls Imran up

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to his would-be Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan over phone and congratulated the cricketer-turned-politician as his party emerged as the single largest party in the recent parliamentary elections in the neighbouring country.

Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf had emerged as the single largest party with 110 of the 270 contested seats in the National Assembly. He is likely to take over as the next Prime Minister of Pakistan soon.

During his talks with Khan over phone on Monday, Modi expressed hope that democracy will take deeper roots in Pakistan, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release.

Prime Minister also reiterated to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief “his vision of peace and development in the entire neighborhood”, added the MEA.

New Delhi has been accusing Islamabad of providing safe haven to terrorists in its territory as well as of exporting terror, not only to India, but also to other South Asian nations, like Afghanistan and Bangladesh.

India earlier stated that it would expect the new government in Pakistan to help build a South Asia “free of terror”. New Delhi, however, refrained from responding to Khan's proposal for India-Pakistan talks on the issue of Kashmir. “India desires a prosperous and progressive Pakistan at peace with its neighbours,” the MEA spokesperson said on Saturday.