Nawaz congratulates Modi on third term as India’s PM

Former three-time prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif has congratulated Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on assuming office for the third time.

"My warm felicitations to Modi ji on assuming office for the third time," Sharif said in a message shared on his official X handle on Monday. "Your party’s success in recent elections reflects the confidence of the people in your leadership."

He added, "Let us replace hate with hope and seize the opportunity to shape the destiny of the two billion people of South Asia."

Earlier in the day, Nawaz's younger brother, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, had also congratulated Modi on taking his oath as the Prime Minister of India. PM Shehbaz Sharif wrote on social media site X: "Felicitations to @narendramodi on taking oath as the Prime Minister of India."

Read more: PM Shehbaz felicitates India's Modi on re-election as PM

On Sunday, PM Modi was sworn in for his third consecutive term, a historic moment as he becomes the first leader since former premier Jawaharlal Nehru to achieve this feat after completing full terms in office. Alongside Modi, several of his ministers, including Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, and JP Nadda, also took their oaths.

Following a six-week-long election and the tallying of all 640 million votes cast, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), along with its National Democratic Alliance (NDA), secured a majority, albeit with a notable decrease in seat numbers compared to the 2019 elections.