India PM Modi greets Pakistan PM Sharif on eve of Ramadan

During the conversation Sharif emphasised that “Pakistan and India should forget differences and war and should move towards peace and harmony”, his office said.

By (AFP)

Published: Wed 17 Jun 2015, 1:32 AM

Last updated: Wed 8 Jul 2015, 2:58 PM

Islamabad — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned his Pakistani counterpart Tuesday, offering Ramadan wishes and announcing the release of detained fishermen, in an apparent icebreaking conversation after recent provocative comments strained tensions between the two countries.

Both the leaders spoke for five minutes and India’s Prime Minister also greeted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on the eve of the holy month of Ramadan,” Sharif office said in a statement.

“On this occasion India’s Prime Minister said his government is releasing Pakistani fishermen as a goodwill gesture and wants good relations with Pakistan,” it said.

The call came after a war of words between the neighbouring nations over border disputes, particularly over recent airstrikes in Myanmar and a recent speech by Modi in Bangladesh.

During the conversation Sharif emphasised that “Pakistan and India should forget differences and war and should move towards peace and harmony”, his office said.

“Being neighbours, Pakistan and India should live together peacefully,” it added.

Modi tweeted that he had spoken to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina and Sharif to extend his best wishes at the start of holy Ramadan.

“Also conveyed to PM Sharif our decision to release detained Pakistani fishermen on this pious occasion,” he said on his official Twitter account.

“The fishermen released will be able to be with their families to observe this blessed month,” he added.

Fishermen are frequently arrested along with their boats by both India and Pakistan as the maritime border in the Arabian Sea is poorly defined, and many fishing boats lack the technology needed to be certain of their precise location.