Pakistan looks forward to Narendra Modi after his 'impressive', 'encouraging' interview

New Delhi: Pakistan has said that it is “very much encouraged” by the remarks made by BJP’s PM nominee Narendra Modi that he would take forward former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s foreign policy to build trust and cooperation with neighbours.

Islamabad’s response to Mr Modi’s enunciation of the foreign policy principles that he will adhere to if elected came from the new Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit on Wednesday while interacting with Indian Women’s Press Corps (IWPC) members.

Noting that the BJP leader’s response to a question on Pakistan “was very positive and that gives us hope that positive things will come. I was indeed encouraged by Mr Modi’s interview,” he said.

During an interview on Tuesday, Mr Modi had asserted that he would take forward Mr Vajpayee’s foreign policy principles, in the backdrop of the then NDA government’s several overtures to Pakistan.

The BJP leader had also asserted that mutual respect and cooperation should be the basis for relations with foreign nations. His remarks, perhaps, would help allay the concerns of countries like Pakistan especially when it is widely believed that Mr Modi may have a more hardline approach to India's foreign policy.