New Delhi:  In a major development that could redefine geo-strategic situation in South Asia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday called cricket legend Imran Khan, Chairperson of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, over phone and congratulated him for his party emerging as the largest political party in the National Assembly of Pakistan.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said in Delhi that the Prime Minister expressed “hope that democracy will take deeper roots in Pakistan”.

“The Prime Minister also reiterated his vision of peace and development in the entire neighborhood,” the MEA said here.

In a missive in the micro blogging site in English, Mr Khan’s party Tehreek-e-Insaf in its twitter handle said, “Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan over his success in the general elections 2018”.

However, according to a report in popular Pakistani newspaper ‘Dawn’ — “We are ready to enter a new era of relations with Pakistan,” Mr Modi was quoted as saying by the PTI press release”.

The PTI chairman thanked the Indian prime minister for his best wishes, the report said.

The ‘Dawn’ report further said the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Pakistan Yao Jing called on Imran Khan at his Banigala residence and congratulated him on behalf of the “Chinese government and Communist Party on success in the recently-held general elections”.