Pakistan has played down a decision by the Indian government not to invite Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan to Thursday’s swearing-in ceremony of his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, saying India’s ‘internal politics’ did not permit him to extend an invitation, Pakistan based Dawn News reported.
“His [Modi’s] entire focus [during the election campaign] was on Pakistan-bashing. It was unwise to expect that he can get rid of this narrative [soon],” Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi told a news channel in the evening.
Earlier, a Reuters report had said New Delhi would not invite PM Khan to Mr Modi’s oath-taking ceremony.
An Indian government statement said the leaders of Bangladesh, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan — all members of the little-known Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation — had been invited to Modi’s swearing-in.
Khan had earlier said there may be a better chance of peace talks with India if PM Narendra Modi’s BJP comes to power again.
Imran Khan said that the Congress party might be too scared to seek a settlement with Pakistan over Kashmir, fearing a backlash from the right wing if they come to power.
The BJP won the elections in India with the biggest repeat mandate since the win of Indira Gandhi in 1971.
