India has invited leaders from the neighbouring countries to attend Prime Minister-elect Narendra Modi's swearing in ceremony as the third-time prime minister on June 9.
The leaders who are invited to attend the oath-taking ceremony include Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremasinghe, Bhutan's PM Tshering Tobgay and Nepal's premier Pushpa Kumar Dahal “Prachanda”.
According to The Hindu, India has also taken special security measures for the foreign dignitaries attending Modi's ceremony in a bid to avoid any untoward incident.
Several other leaders including United States President Joe Biden, British PM Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated the Indian leader on being elected as the country's premier.
Modi, a populist who has dominated Indian politics since coming to power in 2014, has for the first time needed the support of regional allies as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 240 constituencies, falling short of winning the majority of 272 constituencies.
Two allies in Modi's National Democratic Alliance coalition, the Telugu Desam Party, a key regional player in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, and the Janata Dal (United) which rules the northern state of Bihar, pledged their support.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has not yet congratulated Modi on winning the elections.
Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, during a press briefing, was asked if Pakistan has officially congratulated Modi on his elections as the PM and the country's take on the Indian elections.
"It is the right of the people of India to decide about their own leadership. We do not have any comments on their electoral process. Regarding your first question, I think this question is premature. As far as I understand, the process of formation of government is ongoing," said Baloch.
To another query, the spokesperson said that Pakistan has always desired cooperative relations with all its neighbours including India. "We have consistently advocated constructive dialogue and engagement to resolve all outstanding issues, including the core dispute of Jammu and Kashmir," she said.
"However, India's actions of August 5, 2019, in IIOJK have vitiated the bilateral environment. We have also observed an increase in vitriolic rhetoric against Pakistan, especially during the recent electoral campaign in India," added Baloch.
The spokesperson said Pakistan still believes in peaceful coexistence and wants peace and stability in the region, hoping that India will take steps to create a conducive environment for advancement of peace and dialogue and resolution of long-standing dispute for the mutual benefit of the people of both countries.
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