Pakistan ready to welcome Modi: Pak envoy

Pakistan leadership is committed to a result- oriented dialogue process, says Abdul Basit

Pakistan today said it was looking forward to a visit by Narendra Modi as Indian Prime Minister and hoped that the two countries would resolve "differences and disputes" through an early dialogue.

"We are ready to host Narendra Modi when he decides to visit Pakistan. Our Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has already extended an invitation to him," Pakistan's High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit said in an interaction with members of Pres Club of India here.

Basit said people in both the countries longed for peace and prosperity and it was, therefore, mutually incumbent to spare no effort towards resolving all the "bilateral differences and disputes".

He said Pakistan leadership was committed to a result- oriented dialogue process and hoped that comprehensive bilateral engagement would resume sooner than later.

"Now the two democratic countries have to decide whether we will bury the hatchet or will continue to be at daggers drawn indefinitely. The two countries and the people cannot afford to move in wrong direction and to be on the wrong side of the history," he said.

Basit said the new government in Pakistan strongly realises that for pursuing the national and regional potential, peace is essential.

"In the vision of our foreign policy, it is the top-most priority. Peace is in our mutual interest and peace can be achieved only through peaceful process, that is through dialogue process. In the past, we have seen pre-conditions did not work, nor they can work in the future," he said.