Foreign Office Spokesperson Dr Muhammad Faisal has welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's phone call to PTI Chairman Imran Khan congratulating him on winning general election earlier this week.

Talking to newsmen at his weekly media briefing in Islamabad today, the spokesman expressed the hope that the phone call would pave the way for stalled talks between the two countries.

Narendra Modi, in his phone call, had told Imran Khan that India is ready to enter a new era of relations with Pakistan and that both countries should adopt a joint strategy for progress in bilateral ties.

The spokesperson also hoped that it would lead to an improvement in ties with South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation member states, including Afghanistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka, in addition to India.

However, Dr Mohammad Faisal said that foreign heads of state have not been invited to attend the inauguration ceremony of the newly elected prime minister.

Foreign Office Spokesman said Pakistan is witnessing a continued journey towards consolidation of democracy with the completion of two democratically elected tenures and transitioning the next.

He said international election observers from Commonwealth and the European Union have expressed satisfaction on the conduct of elections.

Turning to situation in Occupied Kashmir, the Foreign Office spokesperson said the human rights situation in Indian held Jammu and Kashmir reflects the unabated use of force, oppression, and mass killings by occupation forces of innocent and defenseless Kashmiris.

He said Indian troops in unabated acts of state terrorism, martyred twenty one Kashmiris during the last month.Over three hundred Kashmiris were also critically injured, when Indian police and paramilitary personnel used brute force and fired pellet guns and teargas shells on peaceful demonstrators during the same period.

Foreign Office spokesperson expressed deep concern over the unhygienic conditions provided 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.

The Foreign Office Spokesman 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.

Replying to question the spokesman Dr Muhammad Faisal welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's phone call to PTI Chairman Imran Khan over his victory in general elections, earlier this week.

The Spokesman said omprehensive Bilateral Dialogue between Pakistan and India halted since 2015 and holding of SAARC Summit were the areas that required particular focus by the two governments.

When sought to comment on the bill passed by US Congress to slash Pakistan’s defence aid to 150 million dollars, the Foreign Office Spokesman confirmed that the Coalition Support Fund had been discontinued.