ISLAMABAD: Foreign Office spokesman Dr Faisal on Thursday applauded Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s phone call to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan to congratulate him on winning the general election and expressed the hope that this could pave the way for restart of talks between the South Asian neighbors. Addressing a weekly press briefing here at the Foreign Office, the spokesman said that Narendra Modi in his phone call had told Imran Khan that India was ready to enter a new era of relations with Pakistan and that both countries should adopt a joint strategy for progress in the bilateral ties. He hoped that it would lead to an improvement in Pakistan’s relations with South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member states, including Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka, in addition to India. The spokesman said resumption of comprehensive dialogue between Pakistan and India and holding of SAARC summit were the areas that required particular focus by the two governments. The Foreign Office spokesman said Pakistan was witnessing a continued journey towards consolidation of democracy with the completion of tenures of two democratically elected governments. He said international election observers from Commonwealth and the European Union have expressed satisfaction on the conduct of elections. To a question, Dr Faisal said that foreign heads of state have not been invited to attend the inauguration ceremony of the newly elected prime minister. Turning to situation in Indian-held Kashmir, the spokesman said the human rights situation in the occupied valley reflected the unabated use of force, oppression and mass killings of innocent and defenseless Kashmiris by the Indian forces. He said Indian troops in unabated acts of state terrorism martyred 21 Kashmiris during the last month. Over 300 Kashmiris were also critically injured when Indian police and paramilitary personnel used force and fired pellet guns and teargas shells on peaceful demonstrators during the same period. The spokesman expressed deep concerns over the unhygienic conditions in Central Jail of Srinagar and District Jail in Rajouri, where a number of political prisoners have been packed beyond capacity. He urged the international community to take notice of all these injustices. Dr Faisal said if India has nothing to hide, it should allow the foreign journalists and Commission of Inquiry as recommended by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit the areas. When asked to comment on a bill passed by US Congress to slash Pakistan’s defence aid to 150 million dollars, the spokesman confirmed that the Coalition Support Fund had been discontinued. He said Afghanistan and Pakistan in their meetings of the five working groups in Kabul assessed prospects in all areas of mutual interest, including counter-terrorism, security, bilateral trade and transit and repatriation of Afghan refugees. Faisal also apprised the media about the daring rescue mission conducted by the Pakistan Army on July 31 which saved the life of stranded Russian climber Alexander Gukov from Gilgit-Baltistan’s Latok-I peak. “The Russian government has conveyed deep gratitude to Pakistan for the rescue and lauded the professionalism of Pakistan Army for successfully carrying out this courageous operation,” he noted. Published in Daily Times, August 3rd 2018.