According to a statement issued by India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the two leaders discussed peace and stability in the region. Modi “reiterated his vision of peace and development in the entire neighborhood”, the statement said.

The PTI said Khan had told Modi that issues between the two nations must be resolved through talks. “Wars can breed tragedies instead of facilitating resolution of conflicts,” he said, according to a PTI statement.

“Prime Minister (Modi) expressed hope that democracy will take deeper roots in Pakistan,” the Indian ministry said in a statement.

The relations between New Delhi and Islamabad have worsened in the last couple of years with peace process stalled amid a series of ceasefire violations and diplomatic rows. The two sides have traded allegations over border skirmishes and civilian casualties on both sides of the dividing line.

In his victory speech on Thursday, Imran Khan had expressed his desire to engage with India in resolving the longstanding dispute over Kashmir, saying “if India comes and takes one step toward us, we will take two”. The statement was widely welcomed in India and Kashmir.