New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Pakistan on its Independence Day today. “On the occasion of their Independence Day, I convey my greetings to the people of Pakistan,” he said on micro-blogging website Twitter.
The Prime Minister's message came two days after he accused Pakistan of “proxy war”, a comment which evoked a sharp reaction from Pakistan, which termed it as “baseless rhetoric”.
In a strong rebuttal, the External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson said terrorism was a “core concern” in its bilateral ties with Pakistan and its “tool kit” is not restricted in any manner to combat it effectively. The war of words broke just two weeks ahead of the meeting between the foreign secretaries of India and Pakistan in Islamabad on August 25.
Significantly, in his address during the Independence Day parade after midnight in Islamabad, Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said, “We want peaceful resolution of Kashmir with our full sincerity so that by removing this main source of tension, Pakistan and India could find new ways for promoting their relations.”
