Pakistani High Commissioner to India Sohail Mahmood expressed hope for on Tuesday the bilateral relations between the two countries would improve amid recent contacts between Islamabad and New Delhi in light of the general election in Pakistan.
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th August, 2018) Pakistani High Commissioner to India Sohail Mahmood expressed hope for on Tuesday the bilateral relations between the two countries would improve amid recent contacts between Islamabad and New Delhi in light of the general election in Pakistan.
"[Indian] Prime Minister Narendra Modi's calling [Tehreek-e-Insaf] PTI chairman Imran Khan after the results of the general election is another positive development. And it is hoped that such positive developments will lead to the betterment of ties between the two countries," Mahmood said at a reception marking the 71st anniversary of Pakistan's independence.
On July 25, Pakistan held elections in the country's National Assembly and local legislative bodies. Khan's centrist PTI party received 115 of the country's parliament's 272 directly elected seats, which is less than the simple majority of seats required for the government's formation. Following negotiations with other political parties and independent politicians, the PTI managed to form a ruling coalition, enlisting the support of 180 of the National Assembly's 342 lawmakers.
Following the announcement of the election's preliminary results, Khan addressed the Pakistani citizens and set out a number of priorities of the country's future policy. Speaking about foreign policy and relations with Pakistan, in particular, Khan stated his willingness to resume dialogue and develop trade relations with the country's main political opponent.
India and Pakistan have been engaged in a long-standing confrontation over the Jammu and Kashmir region, disputed between the two countries since the end of the UK rule in August 1947. Following several armed conflicts, the two countries agreed on a ceasefire in 2003, but still repeatedly accuse each other of violating the truce. The continued instability in the region leads to the emergence of various extremist groups.
