Pak PM congratulates Modi, says looking forward to working with him for peace

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday congratulated Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his "electoral victory" and said he looked forward to working with the Indian leader for peace. progress and prosperity in South Asia.

With BJP-led NDA poised to secure a comfortable majority in Lok Sabha, Khan tweeted, "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."

Joining a string of other world leaders, Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan made a congratulatory phone call to Modi.

Ahead of the polls, Khan had said that there might be a better chance of peace talks with India if PM Modi wins the elections.

He reportedly said that if the next Indian government were to be led by the Congress party, it might be too scared to seek a settlement with Pakistan over Kashmir, fearing a backlash from the right wing.

Tensions between India and Pakistan had soared after the February 14 Pulwama terror attack, killing 40 CRPF soldiers. The responsibility for the attack was claimed by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed.

On February 26, India launched an air strike on terror camps in Pakistan's Balakot.

The next day, Pakistan Air Force planes had tried to attack Indian military installations in Jammu and Kashmir, leading to a dogfight. A Mig 21 aircraft flown by Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman had shot down a Pakistan F16 during the aerial confrontation.

India had lost the MiG-21 Bison plane and Varthaman was captured by the Pakistan Army after he bailed out and landed on the other side of the border. He was released by Pakistan on March 1.

In a major diplomatic victory for India, JeM chief Masood Azhar was recently declared as a global terrorist by the UN Security Council.