Prime Minister Narendra Modi has written to his newly elected Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan, saying India was committed to building good neighbourly relations between the two countries.

The Prime Minister’s missive was sent even as Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi offered "uninterrupted" dialogue with India to resolve all outstanding issues.

In the letter, Modi recalled his telephonic conversation with Khan, in which they spoke of their shared vision to bring peace, security and prosperity in the Indian subcontinent to make it free of terror and violence, the sources said, quoting from the letter.

“PM expressed India's commitment to build good neighbourly relations between India and Pakistan and pursue meaningful and constructive engagement for the benefit of the people of the region,” a source said, according to PTI.

Asked whether Modi's letter revived hopes for resumption of talks between the two neighbours, former diplomat Vivek Katju said the Prime Minister reiterated India's position and it is for Pakistan to create an environment for engagement by coming down hard on terror groups. “India has always been ready for talks with Pakistan provided Pakistan creates a terror-free environment,” said Katju.

Bloomberg adds:

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said he will seek talks with neighbouring India and Afghanistan as part of a regional peace initiative and claimed that foreign policy would be determined by the civilian government, setting up a potential clash with the powerful military.

Qureshi called for an “uninterrupted dialogue” with India and said he would visit the Afghan capital Kabul to bridge trust in a tense bilateral relationship. Pakistan and India “have no other option but to engage,” Qureshi told reporters in Islamabad on Monday.

Qureshi’s comments reiterate Khan’s olive branch to India last month, which was greeted with skepticism across the border. Pakistan’s armed forces have for years been accused of supporting and providing sanctuary to militant groups that strike at India and Afghanistan. The army has repeatedly denied the charges, but the military has directly ruled Pakistan for almost half of its 71-year existence and it continues to assert its grip on foreign and national security policies.

In an answer to a question about military influence, Qureshi said “the foreign policy of Pakistan will be formed here at the foreign office.” Those comments set up a potential rift with the top brass, who were said to have supported Khan because they thought he wouldn’t challenge their authority.

Military dominance

Khan and the military have repeatedly denied those charges and the 65-year-old former cricket star told Bloomberg News in early July that the army was filling a vacuum because Pakistan has “such incompetent people dealing with the government’s foreign policy.”

Qureshi also said Pakistan would seek “straight talks” with the U.S. and that trust in the troubled relationship has to be rebuilt. This year U.S. President Donald Trump has pressured Islamabad to act against terror groups inside the country and suspended military aid. Washington also pushed for Pakistan’s inclusion on a global terrorism financing watch list.